" Sentimental outbreaks are like liquorice; when first you suck it, it's not bad, but afterwards it leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth."
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man
(ROUEN, FRANCE: 2:50 PM)
Skóuro remained silent and heard the elderly Kree-Human hybrid's harsh words. She didn't want to violently retaliate her for she had sensed an intense bright aura from Carol. For the angel, she could have the same soul as the old lady, but with a tinge of void energy. She heavily sighed and thought of leaving the property, but she had to convince and explain to the elder as she could.
" Carol, I know you're so upset right now, " Skòuro calmly broke her silence. " I really apologise for what happened to your son, but I have a hard time recalling the past. "
" Stop making some damn excuses! " the elderly blonde angrily heated as she was about to ignite that binary energy from her light soul.
Skoúro widened her eyes in shock to see her raging demeanor and instantly touched her both hands, subduing the old woman from flaring up. Carol was surprised when a being with another Light Soul helped her calm down. The dark angel was able to de-escalate her when she sighed.
" For Hala's sakes, why are you doing this?! " Carol asked.
" Carol, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm here to talk about your son. I can't remember anything from fifty years ago, " she explained. " I was put into deep sleep as the Foundation made me this way. My friend mentioned me to you when I discovered you have taken care of him in two years. It's you who knows him the best. Please let me know more about you and him. "
Carol parted away from the dark angel's hands and tightly crossed her arms. She was emotionlessly looking at the charcoal haired visitor and exasperatedly sighing. Skoúro waited for her response and curiously glanced at her.
" Come with me, inside the house, " the old lady sternly spoke. " In Amnon's room. We are going to talk of important and pertinent things. "
" Thank you, Carol, " the dark angel sincerely smiled and followed her entering the mansion.
Inside the mansion, there were people from mixed races who happened to be escapees, survivors, and members of the Rebel Forces. Some of them were children chasing around the hallway. Some were adults and elderly people who were chatting and intently looking at the raven winged guest. Skoúro managed to smile at them, hiding her uneasiness. Then, she noticed there were 19th to 20th Century furnitures, paintings, and objects around the house and wondered where they did come from. Some had covered in white blanket and some had worn out and dusted through time. Skóuro wanted to ask Elder Danvers everything, but she seemed to be overconscious and understood of her negative emotions towards the Foundation.
They reached the stairs and headed onto the second floor. Skoúro looked at Carol with concern and deeply thought of her stern behavior. She wished to talk to her more, but the elderly Kree-hybrid didn' t want to communicate with her. Carol walked over to Amnon's room and twisted the door knob as the door opened. The dark angel was in awe as she never realized that the Kree-Lizard hybrid's room was spacious and peaceful. She looked at the neatly folded bed and desk across where his reading materials and journals were found. Skoúro noticed some 20th and 21st century books and magazines were written in French, Russian, and English. They had various topics like astronomy, world history and current events, other sciences, math, machinery, arts, lifestyle and leisure, cooking and baking, and fiction. She took out another French magazine which it featured Steve Rogers or Captain America on the front cover and began browsing the pages. Then, she curiously glanced at the old phonograph and some vinyl records which they were placed on a long table near his study desk.
" I didn't know Amnon-Selah have so much interests in human knowledge, culture, and music. What makes him to be more unique than 682? Yet, I wonder, "the dark angel thought and held the Kree-Lizard hybrid's magazine.
"These are his personal belongings, by the way.Are you going to sequester his things around and take these to your Foundation higher-ups? "Carol cocked her eyebrows in defiance and stressedly asked her visitor in her calm tone. " I don't want any of them get stolen from you. If he returns home, he will be mad that they might get missing.Have some respect, privacy, and a sense of honesty and dignity here, sweetheart. We're not in the slaughterhouse, you know? "
" No, Carol, " Skoúro nervously grinned and placed the reading material on the table, becoming intimidated at the elderly woman. " I'm sorry just..."
"...Playing curious, I take it? "
" Y-Yes, ma'am. "
" I hope you understand, Skoúro. "
" Of course. "
" If you want to know about my son, I have his journals that he has written for the past two years, " Carol continued and handed her dark winged visitor five brown leather covered diaries. " I will let you read those. Just call my attention, if you have any questions. "
" Thank you, that's a lot to read, " the dark angel softly chuckled and comfortably sat on Amnon's bed. " But would it be pleasant if we discuss his experiences? This will take a week to finish. "
" I don't even care if you spend longer here, " she sat beside the dark angel and crossed her arms tightly. " I'll keep an eye on you if you do something unpleasant. "
" I'm not going to hurt you, Carol, " Skóuro assured and took the first book. " I'll just read this one first and ask you. "
Carol nodded and said nothing as she saw the raven haired visitor began to turn the pages. Skóuro carefully eyed on Amnon's writings in French and curiously tilted her head, trying to understand them.
"Ce fut un violent tremblement de terre cette nuit-là. J'étais sur le point de mourir quand Skóuro m'a trouvé et m'a sauvé. Elle m'a tendu la main et a quitté cette cellule de confinement infernale. Elle m'a demandé de fuir et d'éviter quiconque me mettrait en difficulté. Enfin, j'ai atteint ma liberté et j'ai regardé l'étoile jaune vif sur le ciel nocturne bleu foncé.Je ne savais pas combien de jours je me suis échappé de cette installation de la Fondation. J'ai fini par marcher et j'ai atteint la ville qui s'appelle Los là, j'ai rencontré un mendiant d'une galaxie très lointaine. Mar-Vell a été le première personne à prendre soin de moi et est devenue mon mentor dans la rue. Il était un héros, mais il a choisi un chemin différent dans la vie avant de mourir. "
Trying to deceipher, Skóuro looked puzzled in reading the French writings and muttered the words, " My name...confinement...containment cell...difficulté...difficulty...installation de la Fondation...Foundation facility...fini...Finally...Los Angeles...galaxie...galaxy...Mar-Vell...le première personne ...the first person...mentor...hero...different. "
Carol heard her reading the words similar to English and heavily sighed, " I'm translating and explaining these to you. You rescued Amnon from death by an earthquake in that facility. You told him to leave and stay away from trouble. He walked into the woods, found a star in the night sky, and reached Los Angeles. "
" I did rescue him? But how? " Skoúro asked to her disbelief as she couldn't recall anything.
" Yes, you did by taking him out of his containment cell. "
" Then, what happened to him when he got to Los Angeles? "
" Amnon met a dear old friend of mine from another galaxy, Mar-Vell the homeless Kree who used to be Captain Marvel before me and my son's older cousin. He mentored Amnon to be a street beggar like him. "
" So, Amnon had an older cousin? "
" Yes, it's from his Kree side. "
" I'm sorry, I didn't know. But the name Mar-Vell, it's starting to make sense to me. "
" Can you tell me further? "
Skóuro recalled of what she and Kai had discovered from the files last night. They both mentioned of Amnon meeting Mar-Vell.
" Carol, we also knew he met the street beggar through the Foundation files and kept an eye on him, " she said while flipping the journal's pages. " From what you translated from his writings, Amnon is telling the truth. I really need to find another story from him. "
" Go on, dig deeper. I'll translate those. "
" D'après les scientifiques de la Fondation et les soldats, j'ai été créé le 4 juillet. Je ne savais rien de cette date. Ils ne m'ont jamais expliqué ce que cela signifie. Tout ce que je savais, j'étais observé, contenu et expérimenté plusieurs fois.
Chaque jour, ils me faisaient beaucoup de choses, mais je ne pouvais pas me défendre. Il y avait tellement d'objets SCP qui m'ont rencontré et torturé. J'étais comme face à ma propre menace de mort. L'un d'eux était SCP-682, le lézard indestructible et celui qui m'avait en horreur à mort. J'ai fait face à tellement de terreur à cause de ses actes.J'ai fini dans un bain de sang extrême et j'ai entendu son rire de ténèbres. "
" What did he mean? " Skóuro asked.
" He was born on the Fourth of July as your scientists and troopers told him. They never gave any clue about what his birthday meant to him, " Carol answered. " He experienced being observed, contained, and experimented for several times. He was too helpless to fight back to those SCP objects who encountered and tortured him. "
The dark angel heavily sighed and sadly bowed her head upon hearing the elderly half-Kree's interpretation of Amnon's written testimony. She couldn't believe of the revelation from the Kree-Lizard hybrid's experiences.
" Like, he used to tell me of having his nightmares of death threats and bloody tortures from SCP-682, he was so afraid to see those horrible things. "
" I'm so sorry, Carol, " the dark angel gloomily spoke. " I understood why you were intensely upset, but I can't remember all of these things. It's slowly making sense to me like I knew why Amnon had to escape and ran away from us. I should have known... "
Carol said nothing as she was still crossing her arms. She was still having some trust issues with the Foundation from fifty years ago, until she met a Russian scientist who could help her in giving her future son a new body. The elderly Kree hybrid woman wanted to speak something, but she had let her guest to discover from Amnon's stories.
" Wait...what's this? " Skóuro broke her silence and flipped another page.
" Care enough to read that? "
" C'est au matin que j'ai rencontré les mêmes scientifiques qui m'ont observé de la fenêtre. Ils me préparaient quelque chose. J'ai su que SCP-682 voulait toujours me torturer jusqu'à ce qu'il devienne la créature la plus satisfaite de me voir sans vie. "
" Amnon saw his abuser when the MTF Scientists observed him from the window, " Carol translated.
" Can you tell me more about that? "
" This is going to take more time, but fine, " she seriously spoke. " Keep reading, Skoúro. I'm still translating his story to English for you. "
" Right, " the dark angel nodded and continued.
(December 25, 2017: Site 19 MTF Facility, California, United States of America: 12:20 AM)
A melancholic piano instrumental in the key of A-flat major was being played inside the containment cell. The shadows of the Foundation scientists were observing the young Kree-Lizard hybrid from the window. Amnon-Selah was sitting and silently weeping at the corner as he saw more blue scars and wounds on his green scaled skin. He heard a calm female voice singing in alto range, but he didn't care at all. Aside from Karen Carpenter's singing, he couldn't hear the personnels's chattering.
A...ve... Mari...a...
Gra...tia ...ple..na...
The music was paused for a while when a sarcastic male voice echoed from the intercom, " Hey, clone. We have a holiday present for you. He wants you to spend time with you for good. "
Amnon exactly knew who the man was referring to. He never responded back since he would experience repetitive bloodshed from his indestructible abuser. Just then, the MTF troopers brought another cage and released a larger reptillian with longer hair and several spikes from his back and tail. He was crawling out of the cage and evilly grinning at the Kree-SCP 682 hybrid clone. Amnon was shaking in fear and weeping as he didn't want to see his pure breed lizard abuser coming to him.
" Hello, there, my double, " 682 greeted him and darkly chuckled, circling around the boy. " Are you thrilled to see me tonight? "
Amnon remained close mouthed and weeping out of fear. He slowly stepped away from the dangerous Keter class object. The scientists were still observing the two when the sad Christmas music was played again. SCP-682 grunted and walked around in circles.
Do...minus... te...cum
Be...ne...dic...ta...tu
In...mu...lie...ri...bus..
Et ...Be...ne...dic...tus...
" You still remain quiet and weeping even the humans celebrate this so-called holiday, " he indignantly spoke. "Let's see if I could cheer you up."
The indestructible lizard threw his spikes at the young hybrid who was struck down and pinned him. Once again, Amnon saw his blue blood flowing out of his body and yelled in excruciating pain. SCP-682 was darkly chuckling when he continued aiming at the hybrid boy and saw him bleeding in pain. From the window, the Foundation personnel and scientists were still watching them, chattering themselves, and documenting the experimentation.
Fruc...tus... ven...tris... tu...i... Je...sus
Sanc...ta Ma...ri...a,
Sanc...ta Ma...ri...a
Ma...ri...a, o...ra pro... no...bis...
No...bis... pe...ca...to...ribus...
Nu...ne...et... in...ho...ra...
The music was still playing as SCP-682 used his sharp and spiky tail to hit and lash Amnon's back, leaving him bleeding and bathing in blue blood. The young hybrid clone was loudly wailing and moaning in tremendous pain. He couldn't tolerate his abuser's skirmish acts, but he was too helpless to fight for himself. In this situation, Amnon felt like a prisoner or a slave during the early and glorius days of the Roman Empire for he received more than forty lashes from a ruthless being. 682 was still beating him to death and loudly laughing. Amnon was coughing off blue blood from his mouth and heavily panting. He was struggling to survive and stand-up as the lizard ceased his work in beating up the clone to death.
In...ho...ra...
Mor...tis nos...tra...e...
A...men...
A...men.
" You're no fun at all, my double. I hope this holiday cheer of mine affects you, " the horrible being indignantly grunted and walked away from the tortured hybrid clone, returning to his cage.
As the music ended, the MTF troopers left the containment cell. The personnel from the other room had finished observing. Amnon was severely injured as he lamented and laid down on the floor with a pool of blue Kree blood.
(PRESENT TIME)
" Quand je lis des livres sur Noël, j'admire les gens qui célèbrent joyeusement la naissance de leur Sauveur, offrent des cadeaux et passent du temps avec leurs proches. Le premier Noël que j'ai eu n'était qu'une autre escarmouche de SCP-682. J'en ai eu marre de ces choses car j'avais envie d'une vie normale. J'aimerais pouvoir oublier ces mauvais souvenirs alors que je fais face au Kree Eternal lui-même. "
Skoúro read the last paragraph from Amnon as she and Carol were both in tears. From looking through and the elderly half Kree's English translation, she understood how the hybrid clone had experienced too much suffering in that Foundation facility. She carefully wiped the tears from her face with a tissue. Carol did the same thing to her face and held the tissue box, placing it on the bedside.
" Amnon had read books about Christmas and understood what it meant, " she interpreted. " The Saviour's birthday, people spend time with their loved ones and do their gift-giving. His first Christmas was nothing, but being nerfed by that monster. He grew tired of those things as he has been longing for a normal life. He wishes to forget those bad memories once he meets the Kree Eternal soon. "
" I didn't know he has suffered a lot back then. I'm sorry I couldn't remember, " Skoúro heavily sighed and bowed her head as she was remorseful. " If only I could do something for him to pay back what he truly deserves. "
" What will you do? "
" Visiting and talking to you is my first step in helping Amnon gaining his life back, " the dark angel answered and bowed again. " I know you're still unsettled with the Foundation. On behalf of my people, I am terribly sorry for what happened to him. "
" I don't know what to say, Skoúro, " Carol calmly replied. " It's not easy to forgive anyone who left a victim with tremendous scars. "
" I understand how you're feeling right now. That's why I'm here to settle and amend with you, " she said and held Amnon's journal. " Carol, I really want to ask you more about fifty years ago. Do you still have time to continue our talk? "
" If you want to extend my time with you, that's fine. This time, I will tell you what happened before this prolonged invasion. "
(Ave Maria by Franz Schubert and Adam Storck, performed by Karen Carpenter)
(Skoúro Valour belongs toFlashlightMan)