Part 5 - Blood of the King
Chapter 85 - Into the Omniverse
Gwen had a feeling she knew why Robert Montauk had asked to speak with her. The director had been trying to reach her for a few days now, and she had finally run out of excuses. She sat down in front of his desk, behind which he tapped a screen before activating a small cube.
"This is Director Robert Montauk concluding the investigation into TELO-014. I am joined by TELO-014, aka Gwendolyn Stacy-Morales. Hello, Gwen."
"Hello."
"I assume you know why I want to talk to you?"
"I'm guessing it's about why Tufto brought me back."
"Indeed it is. I spoke to your adoptive father, George Stacy. He says that he does not know the identity of your biological mother, and noted that the autopsy performed on her and six other females was unable to identify them due to mangled DNA samples."
"Mangled?"
"Mixed, merged..."
"I know what it means, but how can DNA be mangled?"
"There were traces of DNA of another being; not human."
"Tufto is my father, isn't he?"
"Not exactly, but not far off. To understand this, we must look at Tufto's known history. At the dawn of time, the Scarlet King lay with a goddess seven times resulting in the birth of seven daughters. He took each of them as his brides and from them came at least seven foul creatures. We know one to be SCP-682, and 096 is a possible other according to the High Aether."
"If you're gonna say I'm a crocodile disguised as a human, I'm not."
"No. You are human, apart from your spider DNA. The cult known as the Children of the Scarlet King, known to span multiple dimensions, often kidnaps seven women at a time. Each is forced to conceive and deliver a child. Before birth, the Children perform a ritual allowing the King to become one with their offspring. All of the kidnapped women die during child birth. If you want to know more of the details, read up on SCP-231."
"I might. So, I was rescued from the cult, I'm guessing?"
"Yes you were. Your father was part of the raid and took you in."
Gwen stared at the floor, not knowing what to say. Eventually she collected her thoughts.
"So the reason so many bad things happen to people I'm close to is because I'm a symbolic child of Tufto?"
"Correct. As for why he brought you back, we can only assume it was a cleverly planned plot to kill Miles that didn't work. Perhaps the King wished to take over your mind, get in Miles' head then make you kill him. Of course, that is no longer necessary."
Gwen nodded, not wanting to hear anymore, if there was anymore at least.
"I need to go and see my dad."
"You do what you need to. This concludes the investigation into TELO-014. The ID will be removed."
Robert pressed the cube and Gwen left, slightly freaking out.
It had been five days since Max punched SCP-049. He had been trying to get used to the mountains of paperwork that came with his new title, but he had always hated this sort of thing. Now, however, he was being called to one of the hundreds of hangars. When he arrived, he found the other directors, Stanley, a pair of Quintari and a heavily modified Ares aircraft.
"Please make this quick. If I stop writing my wrist starts hurting."
Edward chuckled.
"The High Aether sent us a gift."
"Oh great. Which dimension is celebrating Christmas?"
"9666. Not very holy, but whatever." Replied Teresa.
The directors looked at Stanley and the Quintari expectantly. Stanley was almost bouncing off the roof.
"This jet has tech that let's it travel to other multiverses! I hope you read R-0 now it's available to fours and up." Started Stanley.
"I made sure to." Said Teresa.
"And that's not all. Anyone remember Conall's AI assistant: Corbo?"
"I have some recollection of reading intel about it." Replied Edward.
"This jet has it built in. It's hooked up to ELIS and is crazy powerful."
"Thank you for the advertising, sir." Said an electronic voice from inside the machine.
"I guess we just have to find a way to use it. Is the HA willing to make us some more?" Asked Lisa.
"He wishes to see how you use this one first." Answered one of the Quintari.
"Naturally." Muttered Robert.
This was Max's first time sitting in his father's chair inside the director's meeting room. Conall and Gwen were sitting on chairs against the wall.
"Naturally we use that thing to fight Khahrahk." Said Robert.
"Obviously. It's the most advanced aircraft in the multiverse." Replied Edward.
"We could take it apart and replicate the tech to build some more of them?" Suggested Lisa.
"It would take too long. We only have two weeks, tops, before Khahrahk returns in the flesh." Said the admiral.
"Then let's use it on the side-lines. We aren't in open war yet, but it's on it's way and we need every advantage." Suggested Teresa.
"How is inter-multiverse travel an advantage? The guy can do it as well." Asked Robert.
"I get it." Interrupted Conall. "Khahrahk works with three rules, as we know. The rules of Blood, Concrete and Howling."
"We know, but how does that help?"
"By using it to do what our friendly multiverse spider people do. Khahrahk gets his power from suffering and knowledge of him. So we end some suffering. Back me up, spideys."
"It makes sense, but the change would be barely noticeable." Said Gwen.
"We don't need noticeable. Every little helps." Said Max.
"Alright, what's your plan?" Asked Lisa.
"Go to other multiverses, probably Noladis since we already have friends there. We help people out as much as we can then come home to fight Khahrahk when he comes back. That's the best I've got."
"It's not bad. What do you need to pull it off, resources wise?" Asked Edward.
"The jet, obviously. A team, a medic, some supplies and maybe a pilot but I don't know if Corbo can handle that bit."
"You've heard it. Time for some good old democracy." Pushed Conall.
"Majority wins. All in favour?"
Max, Teresa, Edward and Lisa raised their hands."
"There you have it. Let's do this."
Max picked the team easily: himself, Teresa, Conall and Gwen. He hoped they could make some friends on the road. Based on their experience with 049's creations, the spider had requested R&D give everyone on the team an upgrade to their attire. In the meantime, Max took the opportunity to visit Jacob and Ganke. The pair had been hanging out quite a bit recently, but he didn't mind since it just meant his friends were in one place.
"I'm gonna be gone for a week." He said.
"Going on holiday? That's not happened in a long time in your family." Replied Ganke.
"Not exactly. We're going to another multiverse. I just wanted to say in case you're looking for me. It's kinda scary, actually."
"You'll do great." Encouraged Jacob.
"If the other multiverses aren't as crazy as this one, it'll be a walk in the park." Added Ganke.
"I hope you're right. My biggest concern are pattern screamers."
"What are they?"
"I'm not exactly sure. Reflections of one multiverse in another or something."
"Like a ghost?"
"I guess."
"Find the Ghostbusters. Or can your mum talk to ghosts, being dead and all?"
"She's very much alive. Which is good, otherwise I'd have no family left."
Jacob patted Max on the back.
"Cheer up, man. The world isn't ending."
"It might real soon..."
"You've changed a lot over the last month. You're a pessimist, you used to be an optimist."
"Yep. I've seen it too." Ganke agreed.
"Maybe you could guess why? It's not like someone shot Dad, Slenderman killed Charlotte then a walking squid finished the job the assassin started."
"Just smile again. You're making us depressed too."
Max gave a wiry grin before the temporal watch on his wrist beeped. He glanced at it and sighed.
"I've gotta run. See you in a week."
"See ya."
When Max was gone, Jacob collapsed onto the couch.
"I feel sorry for him."
"I do too. He'll pull through, though. He always does."
"I just hope the whole senior director thing doesn't get to his head."
Max did exactly what Ganke had said when he saw his team in their new suits: smiled. His own looked the same as it had before, but had a few extra functions and Corbo integrated. Teresa's was silver, like her old metal one had been, but with some dark blue streaks here and there along with extra functions. Gwen's was just the same as her old one as well, but was made from programmable matter and nanotech and had a bunch of extra features. Then there was Conall who had gone completely overboard: instead of his usual jeans and t-shirt, he was wearing a a white programmable matter suit with gold highlights, plus it had all the extra tech included with everyone else's. His was the only one without a mask since he refused to wear it if it had one.
"Let's get this show on the road, or in the sky I guess."
Noladis, Earth-1610...
Miles was taking a quick break from his spider duties. Suddenly, there was an enormous roaring sound that started so suddenly he dropped his ice cream off the side of the skyscraper. He turned quickly to find himself staring at an extremely sleek looking aircraft. A ramp was lowered from its back and a spider person swung over to him. Miles recognised Max's suit from the fight.
"Hey there." He said.
Max double tapped the side of his head, lowering his mask, and gave a half grin.
"Yo. We never really said thanks for your help back at May's."
"It's good. You lost your dad. I get why you made a quick escape. I hope you haven't brought anymore squids."
"We've lost too many good people already. I'm not here to see how many people I can get killed. But is there anything we can do to help out?"
"I mean, if you could take me to see Gwen..."
"Not what I meant...I mean spider work."
"In that case, it's all good. I've got it covered."
"We'll drop by again soon in case you think of anything. Keep fighting the good fight."
"You too, man."
Max returned to the Ares which disappeared from Miles' view. Had it teleported? He couldn't hear it, although there was still a pretty wild wind.
"Any luck?" Asked Teresa.
"He says he's good."
"Welp, that's this mission scuppered." Concluded Conall.
"I'm afraid you won't be getting off so easily, sir." Interrupted Corbo.
"Oh?"
"I'm detecting some form of explosion which may have temporal properties given the shockwave it caused. I have isolated its dimension. Shall we jump?"
"Go for it." Max ordered.
"Please strap in tight."
Another dimension in Noladis...
The Ares emerged from a temporal warp above what could easily have been a demolition site, although the building was surprisingly still standing.
"Corbo, analysis." Said Teresa, looking out the cockpit window.
"You will notice the remnants of the explosion above."
"Anything else?"
"The stability of the the building at the aircraft's six o'clock has been compromised. It may collapse. I'm reading a temporal anomaly at twelve."
Gwen opened the ramp. Max joined her at the edge.
"Can we add 'Kowalski, analysis' to Corbo?" He asked with a grin.
Gwen chuckled and rolled her eyes before raising her hood and mask and jumping, landing on a pile of twisted metal and concrete. Her HUD showed people on the other side of this mound. One was lying on the ground, but all were staring at the aircraft. She clambered over the top and surveyed the scene. The person on the ground was a spider person, although it was hard to tell from their suit since it looked like someone had put it through an industrial shredder. She slid down a block of concrete.
"Is everything OK here? I mean...is it handled or do you need some help?"
A woman helped the boy on the ground to his feet.
"I think...everything is fine." He said between coughs.
"Alright. Corbo, where's that anomaly?"
"It no longer exists. It seems the temporal shockwave attracted the attention of someone else."
"Any idea who?"
"It could be a pattern screamer, but I have no way to confirm with ELIS."
"Great. Khahrahk's pigs again."
"Not necessarily. Pattern screamers are not just created by the King."
Gwen pulled herself up onto a bridge and looked down the street before jumping back down to the spider man and small group of other people.
"This is far from handled. Corbo, get Conall. We're gonna need him."
There was a snarling sound and an explosion as a news van was crushed. An enormous crocodile stopped. The spider man took his mask from one of the onlookers hands and put it on, ready to fight. Gwen shook her head.
"The omniverse has lost too many good people trying to be the hero. You keep people safe, we'll handle it."
"Or try to handle it." Added Conall as he folded his wings.
The gold parts of his suit had lit up.
"Too flashy?" He asked, pushing past the onlookers and grinning at SCP-682, or perhaps a pattern screamer of it.
"Hello, buddy! Long time no see."
"The Scarlet King will destroy you."
"Really? Cos I don't see him anywhere. Just you and me, like the good old days."
682 chuckled before lunging forward and snapping at Conall. Conall dived to the side.
"Oops! You missed. Too many like that and your father might disown you!"
The beast snarled, snapping again to which Conall reacted the same. This time, however, 682's tail came round and smacked him across the street and through an already shattered shop window. A few seconds later, he shot out the top with his wings spread.
"Alright, it's time to get dirty."
His wings folded back into a delta and he rocketed forwards. 682 opened its jaws wide and Conall disappeared down its throat before exploding out the other end sending chunks of the monster's flesh flying everywhere. Gwen sighed as he dived down for another attack.
"We're just in the way. Let's move before we get crushed."
The Ares came in low and everyone piled aboard. Teresa had taken the controls and guided the machine away.
"I didn't know you could fly these." Said Max.
"I've had a few tries in a Phantom and the cockpit is basically the same, plus and minus a few things."
"That's not reassuring."
"Given that you have web shooters, you and your mother have a better chance of surviving a crash than the rest of us. It's fine, I'm not going fast."
"What...one hundred knots isn't fast?"
"Snail's pace for this thing."
Conall skidded to a halt. He estimated 682 had lost about ten percent of its bodily mass, and he still had all of his.
"Giving up, yet?"
The crocodile chuckled and began to pace towards the immortal.
"You'll have to be faster than that."
"Perhaps you are not my target."
"I don't know who else you'd be going for."
The immortal folded his wings back into a delta; 682 bounded to the side, just dodging the attack, but continuing to plod along the street as if it were going for a walk in the park. Conall jumped in front and it stopped.
"Shouldn't you be fighting me?"
"The work is already done."
"Really? I still feel alive."
"You are not the mission. You think you are the centre of everything."
"Yep. My ego has probably killed more people than you. How many have you killed?"
"I stopped counting at fifty-three million."
"Wow. That's impressive. So, if killing me isn't the mission, what is?"
"It was over before you arrived."
"So, why are you here?"
"To gloat."
"Gloating's my area of expertise."
Conall sprinted forward and skidded under 682, throwing a fist charged with Ethereal energy and electricity into the beast's throat. 682 snarled and reared up; Conall jumped clear as its legs crushed the spot he had just been standing on.
"You gonna tell me what the mission was?"
"What it always has been. To destroy the Creator and Creation."
"You mean the Quintari? Because there's a lot more than one Creator in that case."
"The Quintari are not the Creator."
"Who is? I wanna meet him."
"He is a farmer, planting seeds and tending to the crops to his desire."
"Is that what you mean by the whole Tree gig?"
"You will see. Seeds have been planted here, and you cannot stop it. The Scarlet King's reign is eternal."
Conall was charging another Ethereal punch when a red crack appeared that swallowed 682. He let the energy dissipate then spread his wings and raced off to find the jet.
The Ares had landed in a park. The spider man from this dimension had put his mask back on. Two news reporters were pestering him about his name and past. Gwen approached since the woman with him, whom she had learnt was his mother, couldn't make them leave. Gwen raised a hand and placed it on the camera. An electric charge blew just about every fuse in the device. She pulled the microphone from the other's hand and snapped it.
"Leave him alone, you self-centred pigs, or I'll get Olivia to give you amnestics."
Olivia was the medic they had brought with them on their omniverse expedition. The reporters stared wide-eyed at her, wondering who this new spider woman was. Gwen feinted and they ran. She chuckled and turned to the spider man and his mother and looking at the palm of her hand.
"So that's what a venom strike is like."
The spider man's eyes widened a little.
"You know about venom strike? How? That's me and Ganke's thing."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, double tapping the side of her head to morph her hood and mask off.
"You're another Miles Morales?"
"Who are you?"
"Gwen Stacy. Or Stacy-Morales if you want the full thing. Me and my friends are from another multiverse. The other spider is Max; he's my son. His dad died less than a week ago. So, if you're a Miles Morales, that makes you a Rio Morales?"
Miles pulled his mask off.
"I'm so confused."
"Ask me anything, I'll answer as best I can."
As he opened his mouth to talk, a gold streak of flames crashed down in the middle of the area where people were gathered. Conall looked around and spotted her.
"Is 682 dead?" She asked.
"In our dreams. It wimped out and went through one of daddy's cracks. That...didn't sound as weird in my head."
"At least it isn't here."
"We had quite the chat; may as well have been afternoon tea. He said this Creator that Khahrahk wants to destroy is a farmer. I'm guessing it ties in with this whole Tree they want to destroy too."
"Sounds like something we could look into."
"Then there's the bad part. He said he came to gloat about a mission being completed and said seeds had been planted here."
"Planted something? Like that tree Robert said he planted in when he went mad? Before the Foundation fixed him up?"
"Could be. Or it may have something to do with that temporal explosion."
Gwen turned to Miles and Rio again.
"What caused the explosion?"
"A Nuform reactor. My friend Phin sacrificed herself to save Harlem. It should have been me."
"If someone wants to die, let them." Conall replied.
"Conall, that's insensitive. Would you let someone commit suicide?" Gwen protested to his remark.
"Sure, if they'd thought it through properly."
"Suddenly I remember why I killed you."
"Whatever. This Nuform stuff, what was it and can we find any?" He asked Miles.
"The last canister was just destroyed. It made people sick."
"How was it made?"
"I don't know. It was made years ago by Phin's brother, Rick."
"Where can we find him?"
"He's dead."
Conall sighed and turned to look at Gwen.
"Welp...that's the end of that lead."
"Maybe not. Think about it. If Nuform was some sort of seed...an explosion would spread it for miles."
"Nuform was a gas." Miles interrupted.
"Any idea why it would make a temporal shockwave?" Asked Conall.
"I didn't even know there was a multiverse until you showed up."
"That was aimed at Gwen."
"If Nuform wasn't from this dimension..." Gwen mused.
"It was made by this Rick guy. Anyway, what sort of seeds could be a gas?"
"Miles, you mentioned it made people sick?"
"Yeah."
"The microbial kind of seeds. Corbo, scan for high quantities of bacteria in the area."
"There appears to be traces of bacteria carrying the Kha'raar virus from Premis 6546. There is currently an outbreak there."
"Oh crap. Teresa! Max!"
The directors had been helping people but ran over.
"Masks up, now. Corbo picked up traces of Kha'raar."
Teresa had hers up in an instant, as did Max.
"Is there a cure for it?" Gwen asked.
"They attempted to use bacteriophages in 6546, but the results were inconclusive." Teresa replied.
"How'd the stuff end up here?"
"Since 682 was banging on about a mission, I'm guessing Khahrahk created it to kill people and weaken the opposition to his reign." Reasoned Conall.
"Which means he might be planning to attack here. There has to be something we can do to at least lower the casualties. Any bright ideas?" Asked Gwen.
"Sorry to interrupt, but what is this Kha'raar thing and who is Khahrahk?" Asked Rio.
Teresa gave a brief explanation about the fatal virus, but refused to explain the Scarlet King.
"How long do we have until Khahrahk resurrects?" Asked Max.
"Two weeks at most."
"Not enough time to build a fleet to travel the omniverse to come and protect here."
"We need a medical frigate for when the virus takes hold."
"Forget a frigate. Just go all out dreadnought." Answered Conall.
"It doesn't matter how big the thing is. These people aren't gonna be suffering long when the King comes for them." Said Max.
"We have biothermic missiles on the jet." Said Teresa.
"You only mention that now?"
"I didn't know they were there until I was flying it. I saw the indicators were green. The question is how big is the warhead."
"Let's unload them. There has to be a label somewhere." Said Max.
"Kid's got a point. Modern society is a sucker for putting sticky labels on everything." Conall agreed.
"You aren't going anywhere near them. Come on, Max. We'll go take one out."
Crossovers in this Chapter
- SCP Foundation
- Spiderman: Miles Morales (muahahaha! No version of Spiderman is safe from me!)
- Subnautica