Part 11 - We Could Burn It All Down

Chapter 195 - Seven Spears

Miles' injuries were mostly flesh wounds, plus a little chipping on his shoulder bone which was easily patched up with the combined medical knowledge of 9559 and 9578. He was so used to being injured in his line of work that when he was discharged from hospital he simply stopped caring about the stiffness and aching. Four days after the failed Daevite mission, he reported to Edward's office aboard the Sol Temporal Command orbital headquarters. The admiral, Gwen, Jacob and Conall were already there.

"Good to see you can still fight. If what Jacob's been telling us is true, we've lost already." Said the first.

"I thought we decided we'd lost already already." Asked Conall.

"Weren't you listening? We're completely screwed now." Said Gwen.

"What's happening?" Miles enquired.

"Khahrahk is still alive, which means he either escaped or killed Anonymous. If he killed him, he'll have consumed his power, and that would mean the Scarlet King is now…" Jacob started explaining.

"…a High Elder God. Oh shit." Miles finished.

"There's the problem."

"Do we know anything about the Sword Perilous?"

"Death might, but we can't count on it actually working. I'd imagine Khahrahk doesn't inherit gods' weaknesses."

Miles growled angrily,

"So what do we do? Do we sit around and wait for him to kill us all?"

"The Global Occult Coalition sent out a distress call asking for assistance in fending off an attack." Replied Edward.

"If Khahrahk's not going straight for Bastria and Zaltoxir, he must still need something." Miles reasoned.

"Which could mean he just escaped and didn't win." Gwen added.

"Maybe."

"It's a valid line of thought. Optimists to the bitter end." Said Conall.

"Teresa's leading a relief force, but they need people like us or it'll be a slaughter." Said Edward.

"So let's go find out what Khahrahk still needs."

There was no way any organisation would be able to cover up this attack; it was too large. The clouds were red and a thick fog covered the area surrounding the GOC facility. The air smelt rancid and it was difficult to breathe, but that didn't stop Miles and Gwen who charged ahead to reinforce the GOC personnel fighting desperately to protect whatever anomalous objects were held in this place. As they reached the main gate, they found it under assault from hundreds of wolf-lizard-bird-octopus hybrids: Kates. Miles charged a mega venom strike and punched the ground with it incapacitating a number. Meanwhile, Gwen drew two katanas Conall had made for her and started fighting furiously. The immortal raced in a moment later, throwing his arms out to let off a burst of Ethereal energy that succeeded in thinning out the herd a little more. Gwen finished off the last few with swift movements. As the last fell, one of the GOC soldiers stood up and gave a mock salute to say thanks.

"What's the situation?" Miles asked.

"The south gate is still under heavy assault. We can hold the line here if you want to help there."

Conall shook his head.

"Stay here, my eight-legged friends. I'll help the south."

He spread his wings and rocketed across the compound. Miles and Gwen climbed behind the concrete barricades, as did Venom when it arrived.

"Any idea what they're after?" Asked Miles.

"None. I'm not told what's in the boxes brought here. Mind if I ask…what's she doing here?"

"Err…"

"We need all the hands we can get. Everyone hates me, but I'm doing more good out here than behind bars." Gwen replied.

"Fair enough. But you're lucky I don't shoot you here and now. Your little Empire took my husband from me."

"Join the line; a lot of people wanted to shoot me before you."

Miles' spidey sense suddenly went off.

"Here come's the second wave."

The sight of the Kates emerging from the fog was nightmare fuel. The creatures used their tentacles to pluck people from behind the barricade, dragging them over where the beaked canine mouths made short work of them. Miles leapt over the barricade fired a web at the closest which he used to pull himself in. However, another tentacle caught him mid-air and began crushing him. Gwen leapt past, slicing the slippery apendage off so he was freed, but ultimately getting wrapped up herself. Miles used another mega venom strike to blast the Kates either to death, or to the edge of consciousness. Two stood strong, however. They must be sergeants, judging from the number of tentacles and their resilience. One bore down on each spider, and Gwen found herself completely overpowered very quickly. Miles struggled too, although his venom strikes gave him brief seconds to get a breath. Venom began to wrestle with the one on Gwen, but was wrapped up itself as the normal Kates started to come around. The gunfire from the GOC soldiers did nothing either. The only thing that did anything was a shout from Jacob who had managed to battle through the fog by now.

"Natåranür trezþ!"

A fissure opened in the ground, swallowing the Kates and ultimately the spiders and Venom. However, the three managed to save themselves either through webs or by gripping the walls of the canyon. Miles and Gwen reached the top first, closely followed by Venom.

"Retþelþ."

The screeching of the Kates fell silent as the fissure sealed itself. However, in the silence the four could hear something else: a voice talking complete nonsense.

"I dream of the power once held by princes of forgotten times. Their strength seized by those brought forth from the darkness like a great slug from the garden."

Gwen and Venom looked at Miles and Jacob expectantly. Both looked uneasy, but not completely terrified.

"What is it?" Asked Gwen.

"The Heart of Darkness. It destroyed the entire space fleet that came to the Battle of Zaltoxir." Miles explained.

"Dangerous, then?"

"Very. Look out for its stinger and the acid it shoots. Our best shot is to crush it under something."

"There's no shortage of debris." Jacob noted.

"One of those concrete blocks would do it, but without anything to swing on we can't drop it on it."

SCP-058, the Heart of Darkness, emerged from the fog. It hadn't stopped speaking its usual gibberish, but nobody listened. 058 began to pick up the the pace, charging at Venom who was the closest. The symbiote didn't have time to react and was hurled backwards. Gwen fired her webs and hauled 058 away from it before it could use its stinger. It also made her the next target, but as it barrelled towards her Miles kicked it in mid-air whilst firing webs at its legs to slow it down a little. Both skidded across the ground and the spider struck his opponent with a venom strike knocking it a little further away. Jacob jumped in now, driving his sword down at the creature in an attempt to skewer it. However, the blade simply glanced off and the Void Warrior tumbled away. That was when a concrete barrier came crashing down on top of the creature. It scrabbled around desperately trying to get free, but couldn't, although its useless chatter continued. The team sighed a breath of relief.

"What's next? A giant crocodile?" Asked Edward.

"Don't tempt Khahrahk with that one." Miles replied.

In hindsight, he kind of wished Khahrahk did send SCP-682 instead of what he did. The Heart of Darkness' endless ramblings were drowned out by a livid screams. SCP-096 tore through the concrete barricades and slammed into the spider.

"Why's it always me?" He muttered as he picked himself up ready to fight.

However, 096 was gone again and its screams were fading away. There was the sound of the red tear in space sealing, then the only noises were the injured moan of the wind and 058 still talking.

"I smell the teeth that will be broken for the princes."

There was a haunting voice on the wind, then the concrete block on top of 058 crumbled into pieces and the creature streaked through a small red portal.

"That was…weird." Gwen remarked.

Conall flew down, folding his gold wings as he landed.

"Did they all just leave here too?"

"Not before 096." Jacob replied.

"It was carrying something. It looked like a pile of sticks, or maybe metal poles. I couldn't tell." Said Edward.

"So they got what they came for. That might come back to bite." Conall mused.

"Now what?" Asked Miles.

"I'm going to find the site director. Stay here and keep an eye out."

As Edward searched the compound for the site director, the fog started to lift and it became apparent which building 096 had come from. It looked like a heavily fortified warehouse, and the inside wasn't much more. All kinds of boxes, from wooden crates to shipping containers, were stacked high against every wall. A small group of people were looking at a place where it seemed a shipping container had been smashed open. There hooks covered the inside walls of it, presumably for holding whatever those poles were that 096 had taken. One of the people looked up as the admiral approached.

"Admiral Melbourne. Thank you for your assistance. So much for a Republic relief force, eh?"

"Too much paperwork, not enough action. We've got a long way to go before the Republic reaches its full potential. What's the damage report?"

"Casualties are still being counted, but the latest figure is fifty-six dead, two-hundred and thirteen wounded."

"What did they take?"

"That I can't tell you. It's classified."

"You realise I'll figure it out when the Scarlet King uses it?"

"Perhaps. Is this related to him?"

"Unfortunately. Didn't the red smoke give it away?"

"They took all six contained instances of KTE-2013."

"Any ties with the Scarlet King?"

"There's a lot to discuss. We need to go somewhere secure."

"Any chance I can bring Miles and Jacob? They may know something."

"Miles Morales? Wasn't he killed by something the Foundation claimed to have contained?"

"It's a long story. Can he join us?"

"Yes. But not this Jacob person; I've no idea who he is or what he's capable of."

"KTE-2013-Kapala-Mendes are seven spears capable of creating red portals, not dissimilar to the one which opened when the battle began. Six were captured by the SCP Foundation in a raid years ago where they also captured SCP-231."

"I know that raid. They captured some guy named Dipesh that Robert Montauk interviewed and shot. It's the reason we know so much about Khahrahk." Said Miles.

"How would you know about it? It was years ago."

"Today was years ago for me. Don't ask me to explain it; we'll be here for years."

"Very well. Each of the spears has negative side-effects on people who are exposed for long periods of time. Some of them could be wielded by certain people, who promptly turned crazy and had to be terminated. After the spears were recovered by the GOC, we attempted to destroy them to no avail."

"Classic GOC. Shoot first, think later."

"Since you have no experience with anomalous entities, I don't think you are in a position to judge, Miles Morales."

"If only you knew. The question is what does Khahrahk want with them? I remember Montauk telling me a story about seven spears being used to kill him, but why would Khahrahk want to kill himself?"

"Unless they have some sort of ability we don't know about yet?" Edward suggested.

"Maybe. Why were they created? And by who?"

"I get the feeling the Quintari would know. The survivors have moved in to the old resistance HQ in the world between worlds."

"I'll go talk to them."

From the run down wreck it was during the war, the enormous station in the world between worlds had come quite a long way. A dozen Quintari star ships floated around it as well as quite a few Sol Temporal Command vessels. Shuttles and repair craft were making repairs to the outside of the structure. Miles warped into a hangar where a few Quintari were unloading crates from a cargo shuttle that had just arrived. One of them turned and gave a half smile.

"How can we be of service?"

"Do you guys have a new High Aether yet?"

"Nope. There's a small provisional board of governors, though. You'll find them on deck one."

"Thanks, and I'm sorry about what happened to your home."

"I think I like this place better anyway."

The provisional governors looked round to see who was intruding on their meeting without an invitation.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Mr Morales?" Asked one.

"It's about something that Khahrahk stole. Seven spears. Well…six but we don't know what happened to the seventh."

"Seven spears? Are they special?"

Miles noticed a hint of concern in the Quintari's voice.

"They were being contained by the Global Occult Coalition, and apparently they make people go crazy."

"Those spears. And Khahrahk has them?"

"Yeah."

The Quintari exchanged looks.

"Do you know what they are?"

"No."

One of the Quintari stood up and pulled a circular device from their pocket which displayed a holographic image of the spears.

"They are one of the few things that we remember from the First Scarlet War. Our ancestors taught us that we must protect them for the sake of all that we hold dear."

"Why?"

"What do you know of the seven surviving children of Khnith-hgor?"

"One's a crocodile, one hates people looking at it, ones an orange blob, one isn't round. I know all the basics."

"You are aware their power was stripped from them when Death cast them down from Zaltoxir?"

"Sorta. But what does it have to do with the spears?"

"You are a physicist, I believe."

"I know some stuff. Time is relative, although I'm not entirely sure I get that anymore."

"Indeed time is relative. But what do you know the law of the conservation of energy."

"It can't be created or destroyed."

"In the same way, the powers of the seven children, the seven Leviathans, cannot be destroyed because it is maintained by their father."

"Wait…you're saying those spears contain the Leviathan's true power?"

"Yes."

"And if Khahrahk releases it, they regain their true power?"

"Yes."

"And…Khahrahk has the spears."

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a deep brooding laughter.

"Your arrogance blinds you. You have failed. The Tree of Knowledge will burn, and you will burn with it."

Miles stared into the face of Atanti-ql-Paneu, the Indestructible Reptile, though it wasn't truly in the room. The creature had grown a number of extra tusks and its scales shone red in the darkness.

"You have your answer, Miles Morales. Tell your Republic to send forces to Bastria; the Scarlet King wages his war." Said one of the Quintari, snapping the spider out of his trance.

Crossovers in this Chapter

- SCP Foundation
- Marvel Cinematic Universe