Dr. Amelia Buck paced across the halls of the Site. The entire staff of this site of the Foundation had been working around the clock since two days ago, all due to the sudden mass hysteria that had gripped their wards.
"It approaches!" shrieked the Plague Doctor, his body convulsing painfully. "Oh, if they are allowed to destroy, then the Pestilence will progress unchecked! They must be stopped, oh DO SOMETHING!"
Shy Guy was in his cell, screaming more painfully than normal. Cain had to strapped down as he foamed at the mouth and blabbered in an unknown tongue. The Mask wept black, corrosive tears of agony.
"What the hell is going on with the anomalies?" asked a NTF unit.
"We don't have enough data to be conclusive, agent, but it appears something very big is happening," replied Buck gravely. She monitored the screens showing the other SCPs contained and uncontained. The Polymorphic Humanoid was writhing in pain in her cell. Dr. Bright was holding a gun to his head, the bodies of recent hosts lying dead in the background. The Eye Pods whirred in circles, shrieking. Even the Sun Sister could be seen in space, many arms pointing downwards to Earth, while two hands cupped her temples in obvious agony. Only two SCPs seemed unaffected by the phenomenon. One was 999, who was chowing down on Skittles and M&Ms as per its usual habits.
The other was 682. The lizard was even laughing, mocking the Foundation and its latest dilemma. Deciding to take advantage of this hint, Buck ordered the NTF unit to accompany her to an interview with 682.
Moments later, she was face to face with the lizard in its containment tank.
"What is going on here? You know something about this, don't you, you disgusting creature,"
The reptile sneered with its alien jaws. "Soon…" it spoke.
"What is it now? Some sort of apocalypse?"
"She is waking. She will shake the world, and we will be free."
"Who is she?" Buck demanded.
"She is almost as old and as powerful as I, disgusting human. Your Foundation will not be able to stop her…"
In the northwest, a vampire seeress screamed in agony at the visions that slammed into her mind. To the south, a certain harpy responded in the same way. All the way to the east, the Oracle of Delphi tore the canvas she was working on to pieces after the migraine attacked her. Bruno fainted in Colombia. Witches stopped their rituals as the chilling energy ebbed through them. Demigods fainted, and the skinwalkers suddenly morphed into their wolf forms out of their control. Young reality warpers accidentally turned the sky pink before their elders turned it blue again with their own powers.
Back in HQ, Kinabalu had gone on a rampage, destroying a bit of equipment before Malaysia calmed him down. Singapore stared at the screens and the data that was flooding in. Hong Kong was bewildered. "What the hell was that?!"
"The magical world is reeling from the premonitions of war. They can feel the powers that will clash and threaten to tear the world apart." Israel murmured.
"Holy crap," said Hong Kong. "What do we do now?"
"The SCP Foundation refuses to make the first move, so let's call the paranormal federation in Korea instead…"
England shivered in the cold, dark cell he was in. Prodding the walls of the magical cage, he groped and looked for an opening in the lining. It was so bloody dark in there that he didn't notice company until his hand groped down hard on a soft yet firm mound of warm flesh.
"Is this really the time to be touching my nalgas, Arturito?" asked the voice.
Arthur colored up instantly. "You know damn well it's too dark to see! And I thought the Hegemony would have the decency to put us in separate cages!"
Spain pushed against the walls with all his might. "What kind of terrible encanto keeps this cage up? I can't imagine any cage powerful enough to hold two Polisaiads in place"
"I'm afraid tis a powerful spell dating back to the Ancient Greeks. It is powerful enough to chain a god and more than enough for two nations."
"What do they need us for? Hostages? Trying to get us on their side?"
"No, Carriedo. We are here to be sacrificial lambs…"
"Perdon?"
"They will slit our throats and water the ground with our blood, to raise the army of the Giants. Oh, and I had plans for tea tomorrow, too. I hope our children arrive soon…"
China convened with Mexico and Iran after the latest developments. "I'm afraid they overwhelmed my poor serpents" said Mexico.
"I keep telling you, djinn do the job far better than your pathetic reptiles," muttered Iran.
"Don't talk to my scale-babies like that!"
China waved a hand. "Let us not squabble, aru. We already have the winning hand. Iran, I trust that you have seen to your end of the operation?"
"Of course. Wicked spirits have been unleashed. I created new Doors of Death to destabilize the pathways between realms. Olympus trembles. Bifrost is flickering in and out. Soon, I shall purify all magic in my flames and banish those blasphemous beings into darkness. All manner of magical beings are falling prey to the chaos and none will even be able to think of giving those three a helping hand, not while they're helpless themselves."
"Excellent, then we're right on schedule. How are the prisoners?"
South Africa monitored the screens. "Ready for the ritual. Do we really have to wait for a full moon? Sounds cliché to me."
"My dear, some rules are made to NEVER be broken. When you've lived as long as I have, you will know it pays to follow the old ways"
"Understood, that leaves us three days before the ritual. What do we do until then?"
Russia smiled. "I have just the things to keep us occupied while waiting…"
China watched the live satellite feeds and laughed at what he saw. Vietnam and South Korea had begun mobilizing their troops. Forewarned by Israel and England, no doubt.
Just exactly as he wanted.
While the two nations prepared for what they expected would be a continental invasion of their lands, China was really preparing to strike a third nation first. This nation would then serve to be a springboard for attacks at unexpected angles at the rest of Asia.
"It's quiet," said South Korea over the comms.
"That's what happens when you stop yapping," answered Vietnam.
"Geez, there's no need for snark"
Vietnam frowned. The Chinese should have begun their assault by now, as Israel and Singapore's data predicted, yet all was quiet on the northern front.
She stood in shock. China wasn't fighting this war alone.
Attacks besieged her western borders. Cambodia and Laos had turned.
South Korea cursed as his contact with Vietnam had been severed. He still could not see any Chinese forces massing on the border with the North.
Hyun frowned. He knew China was up to something, but what?
"It's best you not worry about father. You will not live to see him…"
Hyun's blood froze. It couldn't be…
"I said I would be whole, did I not? I will start by hacking you into pieces…"
Meanwhile, China's forces had been massing at the straits. A lone island arose from the southern horizon.
Standing on top of a north-facing cliff was a young girl, no more than seventeen, surely, but actually centuries old. She had known this day would come, and she had been prepared for it.
Or so she thought.
To the north, the attacks on Ukraine re-intensified, and soon the Baltics, Finland and Poland also began to feel the blows.
In Africa, a new supernation arose from the wars in the south. South Africa had devoured her siblings.
Mexico consolidated her power in Central America, and began to besiege Colombia.
Iran made no moves yet, his conquest being of a spiritual nature rather than geographical.
Soon, over a third of all the world's land would belong to the Hegemony.