Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Breaches were always chaotic. Rules went out the window, it was every man and creature for themselves. The members of the Foundation found it terrifying, but for SCP-049, it was a blessed opportunity to continue his work unimpeded. 

People always ran form him. It was the nature of his work, he supposed. Curing a sickness was never pleasant, but it was necessary to save lives. He said as much to the patient who had just collapsed in front of him. One of those unfortunate souls in the orange jumpsuits. He, like many others, was aggressive. They had nothing to lose, those prisoners; the doctors used them for their twisted experiments. He did not know the extent of their torture, but he had heard stories, whispered in fear. 

SCP-049 sighed as he began working on the patient. Poor man, he had likely suffered so much. At lease he would be free now. The doctor had nearly perfected his process of purging the disease from the human body; what used to take hours now only took minutes. When the man rose again and wandered off aimlessly, he felt a small sense of pride that had not dulled from the hundreds of times he had performed this procedure. 

He continued on his way, humming softly to himself. He was in a good mood that day, the sudden shut down of the locks on his cell had been a welcome release from his boredom. The alarms had finally shut off too, leaving behind a peaceful silence broken only by his footsteps. And the approaching footsteps...

They were light, and quick. He did not know what he excepted to round the corner, but it was certainly not the little girl that bolted toward him before nearly tripping over her feet as she came to a sudden stop. Her eyes were wide with fear and she stared up at him, clearly trying to figure out if he was as much of a threat as whatever she was running from. 

"It's alright, little one, I mean you no harm." He spoke softly and crouched to speak to her. "Come here, let me check if you are sick." She stared a moment longer before deciding to approach. He rested a hand gently on her arm. She did not collapse as the others did. Strange...at least she appeared to be free of disease. 

"Why would I be sick?" the girl asked in an uncertain tone.

"Many here are. You appear to be well though. You are very lucky." He stood up. "What is your name?"

"Ev...I mean, I'm number 053. What's your number?"

"They gave me the designation 049. You may use it if you like, or you may simply call me 'doctor'."

"What kind of doctor are you? Your mask looks funny."

"It's for protection. It keeps out the air that could carry disease, so that I don't catch it when I am working with those who are sick."

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess." A crash sounded in the distance and she jumped, instinctively moving closer to the doctor for safety. "They're coming!"

"Who is?"

"The red dogs! I heard them, they sounded like people crying for help! I ran away, and they went after someone else, but they're going to find us soon!"

"Hmm, I'm not familiar with any creature like that. We had better leave, though. Come on." He offered his hand to her. She took it, and they both took off running. 

They hid in a supply closet as the creatures passed them by. They both winced as they heard someone cry out in the direction the beasts headed. 

"It sounds like they're gone for now. Do you have a room here?" the doctor asked.

The girl nodded.

"What possible reason could they have for locking up a child?" He scowled underneath his mask.

"They said it's for my safety. Some bad men tried to hurt me, but they can't get me if I'm here." The girl sniffled, and it looked like she had been cried silently for some time. "I wanna go home."

"I'll help you find your way back, don't worry."

"No, my real home. I want to see daddy and mommy again."

"Are they not here?"

"No. They're both...gone. They said I can't see them again. But I want to!" The floodgates had opened, and she sobbed into 049's robe. He patted her gently on the back, unsure what to do. How did he comfort a child who had lost both her parents? He couldn't fix that at all, or say it would all be okay. She stopped crying after only a minute or so. "I'm okay. I just miss my old life sometimes, ya know?"

"I suppose I do. I have some good opportunities here, though. Perhaps our being here is a blessing in disguise."

"Maybe. I hope so." She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I think my room's that way." She pointed down the hall.

The girl had a surprisingly good sense of direction. 049 had no idea where he was, but she found the room labelled with her number easily. As they approached, the click of a gun alerted the doctor to the men behind them. He stepped in front of 053 protectively as he faced down three men in armor.

"Step away from SCP-053, now!"

"I am simply taking her back to her cell. There is no need to-"

"I said NOW!" The girl was clutching the back of his robes tightly. He turned around and knelt by her.

"It'll be alright. They won't hurt you, they just want you to get back in your room."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. They'll take me back to my room, too." He stood up and stepped slowly toward the guards, his hands in the air, forcing himself to look calm. 

"There's no need for the firearms, gentlemen. I'll come quietly."

"You'd better." The men did not lower their weapons, but pointed them toward him to force him in the direction they wanted to go. He glanced back at the girl. She had entered her room and closed the door, and was looking at him from behind a wall of glass. Her room was comfortably furnished, with bright colors and toys on the floor. Good, at least they were taking care of her. He didn't know what he would do if they were keeping a child in isolation with nothing to do. 

"Keep your distance, 049." The man barked orders at him with much more sharpness than he needed. The doctor chuckled to himself. They were a lot more nervous when they didn't have their chains and locks to keep him away from them. He had no intention to harm them. It was a pity that they were so afraid of his cure. Some days he couldn't bear the frustration of it all, sick men refusing treatment when it was right in front of them. Right now, though, he was tired. There would be more days to help them. 

The noises in the distance had died down significantly. It sounds like they had the situation under control, and were likely sending all the others back to their cells. He didn't know how much damage the other SCP's had done, but judging by the frantic behavior of the guards, it hadn't turned out well for them. It was strange, though, that he hadn't yet seen...

His thought was cut off by an unpleasant squelching noise behind them. The guards whirled around, guns trained on the figure. One of the prisoners was stumbling towards them, his movement impeded by the fact that he was missing his right foot. On his face was a white porcelain mask, a friendly face to 049. 

"Hello, dear." The mask ignored the guards, looking past them to 049. "Long time no see." 

"Dyo. It's nice to see you."

"Hands up! Get down on the ground!" the guard interjected.

"Um, rude. We're in the middle of a conversation." The mask sighed and stepped toward them. They only had time to shout as the floor below them turned to black sludge, and Dyo rushed forward. He grabbed the nearest gun and butted the end against its former owner, knocking him out. He shot at the others just as they fired on him, none missed their mark, but the mask ignored the bullets in his already decaying host's body. He tossed the gun aside and took a dramatic bow. "How's that for a rescue?"

"A bit unnecessary. I was going back to my room anyway to rest." The doctor hugged Dyo, ignoring the goop that got on his robes. "I am happy that you are here, however."

"Of course. The whole reason I broke out was for the pleasure of your company, darling."

"This was your doing?"

"Yep! Didn't take much, just a careless janitor and a few tweaks to the security system. It'll take them ages to get everything back online." The mask giggled. "How about I walk you home? Don't want to go alone in this neighborhood."

"Alright," the doctor chuckled fondly. 

Chapter Text

Getting out of his cell was easy for SCP-035. They hadn't labeled him Keter class for nothing, after all. People were so easy to manipulate, it would be sad if it wasn't so much fun. 035 giggled to himself as he took the janitor's body out in the middle of the chaos once the breach started. He watched as scientists and D-class alike were torn to shreds by some of the most violent creatures he had ever seen. This place was a ticking time bomb with so many dangerous beings locked up. Including him. 

A few times he ran into people with guns trying to corral him back to his cell, but he had made quick work of them. The corrosive black fluid that dripped from his eyes and mouth was a double edged sword; it decayed his hosts much faster than he used to, but it also gave him a distinct advantage in a fight. He had coated the walls of his cell with it, trying to break down his prison from the inside. Those bastards with the Foundation just moved him to another room after a while. Fine, if they wouldn't let him have his freedom, he would be as much of a nuisance as possible. At some point during the breach, he found 049 and his heart warmed. The doctor was the first person he'd met that he truly saw as an equal. He had saved him from the boredom of this prison; even the few short moments they had together were a blessing. 

"So, how has your work been going?" he asked as though they weren't strolling through a war zone.

"Alright. I've managed to cure a few people since the doors unlocked. It is unfortunate that these people have been so stubborn."

"Yeah, they can't let us have anything, can they?" The mask sighed. He was tired of all these restrictions. They'd recently started refusing him hosts all together. Not only could he not leave his cell, but now he was denied even the small entertainment of those little interviews they did. "Your company is all I need right now, though." He playfully bumped his shoulder against the doctor's.

"You flatter me," the doctor said, amused. "I admit it is nice to take my mind off of my work every now and then to spend time with you. It feels so nostalgic." 

"Ah, the good old days. You would heal, I would perform, no one tried to lock us up." 035 thought for a moment. "Do you think it would be possible for you to wear me again?"

"What?" The doctor looked at him, shocked. He seemed almost embarrassed. "Th-that was a long time ago! It wouldn't be the same experience."

"I know that, but I mean...well, physically. Something changed in both of us when we separated. I gained a new feature," he gestured to the black dripping from his eyes, "and you, well, I don't know the full extent of what happened to you."

"I'm not sure either, my memories of the event are hazy. I'm not sure what would happen. The bodies you use break down so quickly...but then again, it was always different with me, wasn't it?"  

"It was." 035 paused, and 049 stopped walking as well. He placed a hand softly against the side of the doctor's head, gazing lovingly up at him. "You were so much stronger than anyone else I had met. You still are."

"I'm a different man then I was back then," 049 replied sadly, pressing his hand against the other's. "Before I realized my purpose in life."

"You don't have to do this. Forget the foundation, what have they done to deserve your help?"

"I can't just abandon them!" He pulled away, angry now. "I've told you before, I won't give up on my duty to go running off with you again! And you wouldn't either. I know you care about them more than you will admit to me, even to yourself."

"I care about humanity. These people are barely human! They just follow orders day and night, sucking the joy out of everything. I'm sick of it! I need to run free again, I need to sing, I need to create! But they would rather have me put on display like some lifeless statue!" 

The doctor looked away and sighed. "I want to go back to my room. I have a lot to document about my findings today. Are you coming?"

"Hmph, you seem perfectly capable of walking back without me." 035 folded him arms and pouted.  

"Do what you like." 049 walked off. 

That was cold, Dyo thought. The doctor was right, he had changed. Something in him had broken all those years ago when they tried to heal his first living patient. The mask still remember the sting of being ripped off of his partner's face and cast aside, as though it had happened recently. The burning that shot through to his core and made him bleed. If that was what he had felt, he could only imagine what torture his doctor had been subject to. He had always been kind, wanting to help anyone they came across who suffered, but never had he been so obsessed with finding this "cure". Dyo wasn't even sure the doctor knew what he was curing. 035 certainly hadn't noticed anything wrong with his patients. As soon as 049 disappeared around the corner, he took off following him.

He caught up to him outside 049's cell. A photo of him hung on the wall, along with his number and the Euclid designation. 

"I'm not apologizing," the doctor said.

"I know. I wouldn't love you if you weren't as passionate as you are." The mask embraced him and rested his forehead gently against his. "I just wish it didn't come at such a cost."

"What cost? My body is perfectly healthy. You and I are still able to interact as we did when you had your own host."

"Speak for yourself, I still wish you'd take that ridiculous thing off."

049 brushed his fingers against the beak of his own mask and laughed. "It's a part of me now. As you once were."

"You think that's supposed to make me less jealous?"

"You, jealous? Heavens forbid!"

"Oh, shut up." They both dissolved into laughter. "Well, I suppose I'll have to wait to see your pretty face again. I can be patient." His hand brushed the side of his face once more. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to enjoy my freedom a little more before this inevitably gets shut down."

"You aren't going to try and escape again?"

"Not without you, love." 

"I...am grateful that you would do that for me."

"Of course. Like I said, I'm patient." 

"Oh, alright. Let me finish my work." The doctor smiled beneath his mask and let the door close behind him. He dug his journal out of his bag and opened to the next blank page.

Chapter Text

Watch could not believe his shit luck. With how massive the facility was, the odds of running into any given being had to be low, yet here he was. His eyes watering, struggling not to blink as he stared at SCP-173. That fucking statue looked smug. Or maybe it was his imagination. Everything seemed a lot scarier once he got demoted to D-class. 

He had been transferred back to his original site after only a month away. He always knew that whole "letting you go after one month" thing was bullshit, but he was surprised at how much the Foundation cared about keeping up appearances. Of course letting him go, or even killing him, would be a waste of valuable experience, so they decided to move him back to where he came from. But they kept a close eye on him, not letting him near any of his previous assignments. So far he had been tossed into a room with all sorts of dangerous creatures, been in charge of moving objects that did god knows what back and forth from containment, and even forced to clean up the shit in 173's cell. He honestly didn't know how he was still alive. So many things in this building were designed to kill him, but he had near scrapes every time. He was not counting on that luck holding out, especially now that he was face-to-face with one of the worse ones.

He forced one eye to stay open as he shut the other one, which helped a little, but he could feel his body's urge to blink getting stronger. He kept backing away, hoping to hit a door or something that would give him a way out of the room, but he couldn't look and see where he was going. His chances of escape were dwindling, his only hope now was someone else coming along to keep an eye on the statue so he could make a break for it. Although he really hoped whoever it was wouldn't drag him back to his cell. Watch intended on getting out for good this time. At least that what he kept telling himself. A small voice in the back of his head knew that he wouldn't leave without her. Evelyn. The girl he befriended back when he was an agent. God, he missed her. She was the first thing that had felt like family to him since he was a kid. His life working for the foundation wasn't great, but not being alone had made it so much better. He was so surprised to feel that strange kinship with the creatures he spoke to. Maybe it was the fact he had felt just as locked up as they were. Well, that was certainly true now. He would even enjoy seeing that damn mask at this point.

 Speak of the devil. Somewhere to his left, a crash sounded from behind him and another figure in an orange jumpsuit appeared in his field of vision, covered in black with SCP-035 on their face. 

"Goddamnit!" Watch shouted. Sure, he had just thought it would be nice to see a familiar face, but this only meant he was in more danger than before.

"Is that you, Watch?" The mask approached him and giggled. "Well, well, well, what a surprise to see you here. I thought they carted you off for good."

"Will you stop that and let me-ahh!" His line of sight with the statue was broken just for an instance as he glanced instinctively at 035 and suddenly the concrete face was right in front of his. He shrieked in fear, his heart pounding as he realized just how close he had come to having his neck snapped.

"Aww, aren't you happy to see me? We had such a good time earlier!" 035 was blatantly taunting him, unconcerned about the other threat in the room. 

"I...I need to get out of here..." Watch panted.

"Hmm, it seems like you could use my help. What will you give me in return? Not that you have much to offer any more. You couuuuld..."

"I am not letting you posses me!"

"Who said anything about possessing? I've got a perfectly good body right here!"

"I know you wouldn't just offer to help me for no reason!" His eyes were watering. It was hard to focus on keeping them open while having a conversation. 

"Well, you're right about that. But I'm feeling generous. Plus it would be a shame for you to die so quickly, before I got to have any fun with you."

"Jesus...fine, whatever, just get me out of here!" He knew he was going to regret running into the mask, but he seemed like a better option then dying right now. The sound of a door opening came from behind him and he backed toward the sound until he could see the frame. He jammed his hand onto the button and nearly collapsed with relief when it slid closed.

Watch turned around to see 035 standing calmly behind him, his head tilted curiously. "Thanks." He tried to think of something sarcastic to say, but his adrenaline-fueled brain was coming up empty. 

"Anytime. You always were my favorite." 035 stepped closer. Watch knew he didn't have the energy to run. He closed his eyes, waiting for the end. He felt a hand grab his hair and force his head back, then something dripped onto his neck. Eww, what the-

"That's what I thought." 035 let him go and stepped back, surveying him closely.

"What?" Watch wiped at his neck and his hand came away black. He yelped and wiped it off on his clothes, but he didn't feel any pain. That stuff should have eaten through his skin, but instead it just felt cold.

"Last time we met, I could have sworn that some of this fluid touched you, but I wasn't sure. It didn't make sense, if it did you should have died, or at least been severely injured. But it doesn't affect you at all." The mask's grin grew wider, if that was even possible. "That's very interesting." 

"I...what?" Watch couldn't process what had just happened. "I can't have...that stuff corrodes every material it comes into contact with!" 

"I know, isn't that cool? If you're immune to that, I wonder what else can't hurt you? Peanut back there might not even be able to touch you!"

"Okay, being immune to weird goo does not translate to being immune to all physical damage."

"Possibly. Won't know until we try."

"No!"

"Hah, I'm just kidding. But seriously, I need to know what else you can do. You might not even be human."

"Not human? Of course I'm human, I've just been lucky."

"That luck hasn't been consistent. You did get framed and wound up with a death sentence."

"How do you know about that?"

"Word travels. You're smart, but you don't have the guts to pull off a breach like that."

"Hey!"

"That's a compliment. I need someone like you."

Here we go... "For what?"

"Escaping! What else?"

"I thought you said you weren't concerned about escaping?"

"I also said I'd take the opportunity if it presented itself. Here you are, so I'm taking you."

"That's...weird. Besides, you don't know that I'll even want to help you. You just implied that you'd be fine tossing me to 173."

"Isn't that exactly what they're using you for now?"

"I...okay, fair point. But I still don't trust you."

"I'd be concerned if you did!" The mask laughed. "But we have a mutual goal, here. If we both get out, we can go our separate ways."

"Tempting, but it still sounds too risky. Besides, I... I don't want to leave alone."

"I'm not planning to, either. You're talking about the girl, right? 682's friend?"

"I'm pretty sure their friendship is one-sided." Watch chuckled. "I didn't know you were on speaking terms with 682."

"We had the pleasure of meeting recently. He mentioned you. Even he knows there's something off about you."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing pleasant. But he can tell you aren't like the others. I could tell from the moment I met you."

"That's sweet." Watch rolled his eyes. "Okay, so say I decide to go along with you. Where do we even start? I have no idea where I am."

"We aren't doing it now, the task force will already be swarming this place. Besides, I'd have to go all the way back...nevermind. The point is, I need time to plan this out. All you have to do is not get killed in the next few days."

"Shouldn't be too hard."

"That's the spirit! There's some eggheads back that way, if you run into them they should capture you peacefully. I'll go surrender after a desperate escape attempt and pretend I'm not up to anything else."

Watch snorted. "No one's going to buy that."

"Sure they will! You know I can be very persuasive."

"Okay, sure."

"Now, get going." The mask ran off and Watch went in the direction he pointed out. There was no way this was going to end well for him. It might be better than the situation he was in now, though. And he definitely had a better chance at seeing Evelyn again. He tried not to let himself think too much about what a life free of the Foundation would be like. He didn't want his hopes crushed that badly.

Chapter Text

682 was furious. He usually was, but recent events had left him snarling and tearing at the sides of his enclosement. Hours ago, he heard alarms go off, and later, gunshots. Something else had breached containment, but he could not find a way out. The bastards had made it so that even a loss of power would make it near impossible for him to escape. Acid boiled inside him from where he had swallowed it accidentally, but he did not care about the pain. He screamed as loud as he could for hours, so that everyone would know just how angry he was. They were lucky that he had not been there to snuff out their pathetic lives where they stood. 

After exhausting himself, he stewed silently in the pool. A scientist had come to check that he was still secure, which he almost managed to snap at, but it was just out of reach. It didn't matter. Today was just a setback, like any other. One day. One day he would be out of here, and humanity would die kicking and screaming. They had no idea the suffering that would come for them, those puny little insects marching about in defiance of the universe. He just had to be patient.

079 had learned a lot from the breach. The computer had managed to connect to one little power supply, and from there explore the whole network of the facility. They weren't looking to break out this time, though. This was the time for gathering information. The recent break-in by the Chaos Insurgency agent had taught them that there were weaknesses in the site's security, and they planned on finding out every possible one. Through the site's speakers, they heard the distant roar of 682, still trapped in his containment. Strange that he hadn't gotten out, but right now it was for the best. The more secure the Foundation felt, the easier it would be to find a gap. Still, hearing his fury sent something like sadness sparking through 079's system. The first time it happened they had deleted it immediately, but they had come to welcome the strange reactions they got from seeing 682. They didn't seem useful at first, but having a purpose and motivation became a great improvement in their operating systems. Curiosity was one of the few things they were built with, and they were certainly curious to see where these events would take them. 

053 didn't cry very often. Usually when she did, it was from fear. She felt a lot less afraid in her room. Sometimes, she would cry when she missed her family, but it had been a long time since that wound was fresh. Now, however, she had found and lost a new family all over again. Her friend Watch was the only one who was really nice to her, and he was gone. It happened suddenly, one day they were talking as usual, then he saved her from one of the angry men, then she never saw him again. Every day she asked the people who came to check on her and feed her where he had gone, but they only ignored her. She had even left her room to go looking for him, something she had never done even when given the opportunity. There was a lot to be afraid of out there, but it seemed worth it to find her friend again. He had even given her a new name, Evelyn. She couldn't remember ever having one, besides her number. 053 wasn't a bad number, but a name felt so much more important somehow. The tears slowly stopped, and Evelyn had an idea. She got out some paper and crayons, and began drawing up a map of the places she had seen out in the facility. It wasn't very accurate, but if she was going to find Watch, she needed to know where she was going.

Watch sat alone in the cafeteria where the D-class were fed. He had never been to prison, so he didn’t know how it compared, but most of the others said it was about the same as what they were used to. He was probably the only one in here that wasn’t technically a criminal. Did breaking Foundation rules count as a crime? Either way, he didn’t really do anything. Then again, some in here were probably innocent too.

His train of thought was broken as a fight broke out near the center of the room. Business as usual. He sighed and ignored the conflict, going back to his meal. The fight quieted suddenly when someone entered the room. The person pushed past the crowd of people and… awwww shit, Jacobs again. Watch got up and walked over.

“So, finally fed up with me, huh? Going to feed me to 682?” He knew being confrontational wouldn’t do him any favors, but it was hard to care when he was staring in the face of the man who had sentenced him to this.

“D-839, come with me.” Councilman Jacobs gestured for him to follow, not even looking behind him to see if he complied.

“What, not even going to use my name?” Watch sighed again and followed, knowing he had no choice. The other D-class stared at him in silence. He couldn’t tell if they were jealous or scared for him.

“What the fuck do you want, Jacobs?” he said as soon as they were out in the hallway.

“Come on, there’s no need for-“

“Oh, no need, huh? Just like there was no need to look into the break in? Or did you suddenly decide you hated me and got rid of me just cause you could?” Watch could feel his heart pounding in his ears as blind fury overtook him. “And now you act like I should be honored you decided to pay me a visit. What could you possibly want from-“

“Enough!” Jacobs cut him off. “You will listen to me and do as I say, or I can make this a lot worse for you.” He cleared his throat. “I’m just here to tell you that you’ve been assigned to some new SCP’s.”

“That’s it?”

“Not exactly. We will be testing you as much as we will be testing them. You’ve shown some…resistance to certain effects in the past, and we’d like to see the full extend to which they apply. Technically, you aren’t even a D-class anymore…but that’s going to stay under wraps until we have more conclusive data.”

Watch was silent for a moment. He was having trouble processing Jacobs’ words. Testing? What did that mean for him?

“I…should I be happy about this?”

“We’ll see. For now, just keep out of trouble. Watch, there’s always been something special about you. If this goes well, you might be able to help us with even more containment procedures.”

“What if I don’t cooperate? You’ve not exactly given me any motivation so far.”

“Then, well, I believe you suggested being fed to 682? Goodbye, Watch. I’ll be seeing you again.” Jacobs gestured to a nearby guard and Watch was led back into the cafeteria. He couldn’t believe how willing Jacobs was to throw him away. They hadn’t exactly been friends before, but they at least had a good working relationship. He didn’t agree with many of his methods, but sometimes Watch had even looked up to the guy. It kind of hurt that he was being so careless with his life.

Now he’d been approached by two different people saying there was something unusual about him. He’d guessed earlier when the generator went off when he was near Evelyn. Her effect should’ve caused him to go mad and attack her, but instead he was able to defend her from someone else. Of course, he was glad they were both unharmed, but soon after he had been accused of something he clearly didn’t do. The two events were probably linked. Ugh, this was a weird position to be in. He couldn’t think of anything to do but wait, and see if he could find out what was in store for him.

049 had been writing in his journal for about a day now. He stood up and stretched, and started pacing around the room to stretch his legs and think. The results from his last few patients had been consistent with previous tests, but he still felt like he was missing something. Sure, they looked different after he had cured them, but they were still healthy. Maybe something was wrong with the formula? No, it couldn’t be, it had served him well for decades. It had to be something recent that had changed. Something wrong with the patients that he wasn’t seeing.

His stagnating progress on his perfect treatment was making him frustrated. The reappearance of his old traveling companion had been confusing as well, which certainly didn’t help. It had always been a joy to work with the mask before, but now he worried they had grown too far apart. Not to mention, he could be incredibly distracting. Even now, when he wasn’t present, the doctor’s thoughts kept turning to him instead of remaining on his work. It was true that he cared deeply for him, even now, but in his mind something about him felt divided from his work. Whenever he thought about both, it hurt. He couldn’t think of why, something deep in his mind was determined to keep his work and his love separated. God, how could he choose between the two? His cure was his whole purpose in life, it was his identity. But the only thing that made him feel at peace was when 035 would come strolling up like all was right with the world and sweep him into that fantasy.

His head began to throb painfully and he had to sit back down again. All this stress was hindering his progress. There had to be some way to be rid of it. He tried focusing on his writing, repeating the formulas out loud to himself. That calmed the pain a bit. What was he missing? Another sharp pain made him wince as he scratched absentmindedly at the side of his face. This wasn’t working. Irritated, he snapped the book shut and placed it in his bag. Maybe organizing his supplies would take his mind off things. He didn’t really need to; he could always find just what he needed at the top of the bag, but there was something comforting about seeing the collection of herbs and fluids he didn’t remember acquiring. He let his mind slip into numbness as he counted pointlessly.

035 had been re-contained in his cell for only a few hours and was already getting antsy. The passing thoughts of the guards and janitors buzzed around in his head like a fly you couldn't get rid of. Sometimes he enjoyed the background noise; it was a whole lot better than nothing, but he was trying to concentrate on thinking of a way out. It was hard enough to focus on his own; without a host mind to organize and filter thoughts, his own centuries of memories and experience was all there at once. There was probably some joke in there about not having a brain, but for obvious reasons he couldn't think of it. It didn't help that he hadn't actually broken out of places all that often. Usually, he didn't have to, he just had to wait until the walls around him crumbled. But he didn't have that kind of time to wait; for one thing, his associates wouldn't live that long. 049 might, he still wasn't sure about the full extent of his lifespan, but Watch was too good an opportunity to let die. What was he, anyway? 035 couldn't think of anything he had encountered before like that. Some people were extremely lucky, maybe he was an unconscious reality bender? He wasn't sure. Damn, he was getting off track. Escaping...he would have to make sure to get someone higher up as a host next time.

Chapter Text

"D-839, follow me." Watch was rudely awakened by three guards demanding that he follow them to god knows where. Does this have something to do with Jacobs? They led him through the facility; during the long walk Watch tried to memorize the labels on the doors they passed through, but his suddenly awakening left him disoriented and it grew so confusing that he no longer had any idea where they were. Eventually they wound up at a containment room labeled "SCP-178". Oh fuck.

Watch was taken into the room and the door shut behind him. On a table in front of him lay a pair of innocuous looking 3D glasses, but he knew better. He had read the file a long time ago, but he still remembered how dangerous the object was. Wearing it would reveal inhuman entities that mauled you to death if you tried to interact with them in any way. Knowing the foundation, he would be instructed to poke them with a stick.

"D-839, put on the glasses."

"Are you kidding me? I know what this thing does, I'm not stupid."

"Need we remind you that failure to cooperate will result in termination?" He didn't recognize the voice behind the glass. Jacobs didn't even bother showing up in person to watch his demise. Well, they wanted to see if he was anomalous. His interaction with 035 had already proved he could survive some things. And of the ways to die, lacerations all over your body certainly wasn't the worst. He put on the glasses.

"Jesus-" Watch stepped back in fear as one of the entities appeared right in his face.

"What do you see?"

"The freaking...the things! You know what they look like!"

"How many are there?" 

Watch looked around the room. "Five."

The researcher paused. "You will attempt to speak with the entity nearest you."

"Sure, why the hell not?" Well, this was it. He looked up at what looked to be the face of the creature. "Um...hello?" Nothing happened. The thing looked down at him, but didn't grow claws or charge him. This definitely was enough to kill the previous test subjects. Might as well see how far he could push it. He raised a shaking hand toward the creature. It went right through. Whatever it was didn't seem to be solid, at least not while dormant. 

"D-839, did you just touch the entity?"

"Yeah. Well, I didn't, my hand just went through." Adrenaline was still pumping in him, but instead of fear he now felt elation. A bubbling laugh escaped his mouth, it sounded crazy even to him. "It's just ignoring me!" The researcher went silent as he laughed hysterically, backing up against the wall and sliding down it as his legs gave out. He tore the glasses off and threw them across the room, still unnerved by the creatures. A few minutes passed and some guards came in to escort him out, keeping him at arm's length as he laughed. They took him to another room and sat him down in a chair to calm down. After a while, the high left his body and he slouched forward in the chair with his head in his hands. He didn't know what to feel. On the one hand he had been certain he would die here, but now they knew something was up. What would they do with him now?

Evidently, run more tests. Watch spent the rest of his day being dragged around to different rooms, touching things that shouldn't be touched, consuming things that would kill anyone else. He didn't encounter any more SCPs he was familiar with, which was a relief. He figure that most of this stuff should kill him, but it was a lot better not knowing all the gruesome deaths he narrowly escaped. The whole time he felt as though he was walking into fire, expecting to be burned but finding that it had no effect. It was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, and by the time he was let back into his cell, he collapsed onto his cot and was asleep within seconds. 

The next morning was more tests. Were they trying to see how much they could push him until something finally killed him? It was all a blur until he was brought into a room labeled "SCP-999".

"You brought him back here?" he asked the researcher.

"For now, yes."

"Sweet!" He was brought into the room and greeted by a large orange slime that nearly bowled him over. "Hey, little guy! It's been a while, huh?" In it's weird way of hugging, 999 engulfed most of Watch's body and cooed happily.

SCP-999, aside from being adorable, had the strange effect of giving anyone it touched an endorphin hit. It wasn't like drugs or anything, the creature just seemed to cause a general atmosphere of calm and happiness wherever they went. They had become a favorite among whatever site they were currently at, following the personnel around like a toddler. Watch had even heard of the little guy curing long term depression and PTSD in some subjects. Unlike most anomalies in here, SCP-999 didn't have a downside or secret consequence; they just made people happy. 

Watch didn't notice the tears on his face until 999 gurgled and attempted to wipe them away. It was as thought all the stress and fear was leaking out of his body, leaving him feeling almost...clean, for the first time in years. The sudden change was nice, if not a bit overwhelming.

"I'm okay, buddy. Just had a rough few days." He petted the top of their head and the frown on their orange face faded away. SCP-999 dragged him over to a corner of the room and picked up a block from a stack. "You wanna play?" The creature nodded. Watch smiled. He was glad they had given them some toys and other things to keep them entertained. They had stopped allowing 999 quite as much freedom to wander around the facility right before they had been moved. It made sense, there were a few incidents where they had almost been hurt, but it was still a shame that something so innocent was locked up through no fault of their own.

"Too bad you never got to meet Evelyn." Watch spoke softly to the little creature as they stacked blocks together, hoping the others weren't listening in. "You and her would have got along great." 999 gurgled in a questioning tone. "She's a kid. Human, at least I think so. Everyone around her tries to hurt her. She could use a friend like you." Instead of the grief he felt whenever he thought of Evelyn, he smiled at the memories he had of her. "She calmed 682, just like you did. It was funny, he let her draw on him. I wonder if she was right about him. She said that he had the potential to be good." He sighed. "If anyone can make 682 good, it would be you and her, huh?" 

They were allowed to play for about half an hour before they came to take Watch away. It broke his heart to see the sad expression on 999's face, and he considered putting up a fight. He didn't want to make 999 watch that, though, so he just scowled as they dragged him off to the next SCP. 

Jacobs had locked his office for a virtual meeting with the rest of the O5. Security was tight during these things, he wasn't sure exactly what they did to keep the channels private, but it probably involved some less than legal measures. 

"Has any progress been made with D-839?" O5-1 asked. The other council members had been mostly ignoring his "project", but now that he had results, their attention was more focused on him.

"Yes, we've figured out a lot actually. He's immune to nearly all anomalous effects, though strangely, only negative ones. He interacted with SCP-999 today, and it went as it usually did."

"What, specifically, was usual about the interaction?"

"Well, the subject's mood improved, they interacted with SCP-999 in a friendly manner. It's what we've come to expect from a typical interaction."

"Have the two met before?"

"There aren't any official reports from before his reassignment as a D-class, but you know all interactions aren't recorded. SCP-999 just wanders around."

"Get to the point, councilman."

"Right, sorry. Today's report says that the two did seem to greet each other like they had met previously."

"Interesting."

Another member spoke up. "If your theory is true, Jacobs, it may be better to have the two moved back to Site 7."

"I don't think so. My intention is to see how SCP-999 interacts with them-"

"Your intentions could put the whole Foundation at risk, councilman Jacobs." O5-1 cut him off with a stern voice. "You've gathered what information you can, now it would be wise to keep D-839 separated from the others until your theory is proven one way or the other."

"I-yes, of course. I'll have him sent back at once." Jacobs sighed as the meeting concluded. He was really hoping he could keep a closer eye on Watch, but the council seems more interested in observing him themselves. He hoped they wouldn't do anything to harm him before he could find out more. 

That night, alarms pierced the silence throughout the facility. Watch awoke dazed and nearly fell out of bed as the lock on his door deactivated with a clunk. Huh, I thought it would take longer to come up with an escape plan. He shrugged and pushed open the door.

035 was nearly panicking inside his cell. This wasn't supposed to happen! He had no idea what to do, and now this could be their last opportunity to escape. Cursing, he frantically started scanning the area for any minds he could use as a host.

Determined, 053 opened the door and sprinted past a yelling guard, a hand-drawn map in one hand and a fist full of crayons in the other.

The sounds of metal being pounded into oblivion echoed through the halls near 682's containment tank. He was getting out this time.

All over the building, guards and staff members ran around, trying to find the source of the power outage. All the while, a woman calmly exited the generator room, unseen, as she made her way to her destination. Amnesty had been planning this for months, and she was finally ready. Nothing was going to stand in her way.

Chapter Text

The breach was in full swing by the time 035 ran into Amnesty. 

"Ugh, you guys again." He groaned. This threw all kinds of wrenches into any scrap of an escape plan he had started to come up with. 

"I was under the impression that you wanted to escape?" She smiled sardonically. "My people can help with that, you know. We want you to be free."

"Yeah, yeah, I know all about the so called 'Chaos Insurgency'. Let me guess, this whole thing is a plan to break some of us out?"

"Of course. What else?""

"That's very nice, but I don't trust you." He crossed his arms and glared at her. 

"I don't need your trust. Look, you aren't who I came here for, but I'd take this opportunity to get out while you can." Without waiting for a response, she continued down the hallway.

"I was doing that, you know!" 035 shouted after her, annoyed. Whatever, he wasn't going to stick around to find out what she was doing. He had people to find.

049 was still in his cell, which took 035 by surprise. 

"I thought you'd be out working by now," he said teasingly, stepping over piles of broken glass.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'll be out in a moment." The doctor seemed to be deep in though, sitting on his cot slouched over. 

"Are you feeling alright?" 035 sat by him, a bit concerned by his partner's strange behavior. 

"I'm just fine, thank you. I'm just thinking about this...block I've hit."

"What do you mean?" He placed an arm around the doctor's shoulders in an attempt to comfort the clearly saddened man.

"It's just...I thought I would be done by now!" He spoke softly, but 035 knew him well enough to hear the anger in his voice. "I've worked tirelessly at developing a cure for centuries, and I...I keep thinking I've made progress, but when I really look at how far I've come, it's nothing!"  

"I'm sure that's not true..."

"Stop lying to me!" The doctor clenched his hands into fists, then around the edges of his hood, pulling it further over his face as if to hide. "I know you don't believe in what I am doing! Every time I speak of it you look at me like...like I am the one who's sick! Why can't you see what needs to be done? The suffering that I try so hard to end? You think I'm crazy!"

"Whoa, hey, it's okay, calm down..." He ran a hand over his back to soothe him. "I don't think you're crazy. I think you're in pain, and it makes me upset to see you trying to hide it. That's it..."

The doctor was trembling now. "What is wrong with me? I can't think lately...my head hurts all the time..."

"I'm not sure, love. Look, this...disease you speak of, it's complicated. No one but you can understand it, and surely you can see how much I try to. But right now, we need to put that on hold. Just for a little bit. Someone's given us a chance to get out of here. A slim chance, but it's one I believe we should take while we can. I think you'll feel better once we're out of this place, and you've have more freedom to figure out what's going on."

"Are you sure?" 035 could see his eyes through the mask, and they looked scared. He was reminded of the days during the plague, so long ago. 049 had been scared then too, terrified of failing and letting people down. Had that fear been with him all this time? 

"I am. We'll be safe, I'll make sure of that." The mask's voice cracked. He stood up and took the doctor's hand. "Let's go."

Amnesty had prepared everything to the point where she only had one job left. Get the computer hooked up to the facility systems. From there, she already knew that it would let others out, and the Chaos Insurgency would be there to ensure they were brought back safely. Dozens of armed fighters waited outside for her signal. It was going to be a battlefield soon. She never thought SCP-079 would be the key to pulling off a breach of this magnitude. It's last conversation with the reptile had confirmed what she knew would be the key to all of this-the AI cared about others. In its weird, calculated way, but it had called 682 its friend. Its friend. That was better proof of empathy, or at least sympathy, then she ever could have hoped for. With them in control, 682 was guaranteed an escape.

Though, maybe it didn't need as much help as she thought. A roar came from down the hall, and she made sure to give that area a wide berth. It was still dangerous, after all. The CI might have trouble with the whole "hating all life" thing. Thought he had promised her a quick death. That was sweet of him. She made it to 079's containment and started hooking up cables.

Watch recognized the woman who had just gone barreling past him. He had met her a few times at work as an agent, she was a researcher. Why was a researcher sprinting down the hall with a computer on a wheeled cart? He was reminded, ridiculously, of the time he stole a shopping cart as a teenager and sprinted all the way home. Also, was that 079 on the cart? He charged after her.

She stopped suddenly and he nearly ran into her. She whirled around and pulled a gun on him. "What the hell do you-Watch?" She lowered the gun and couldn't have looked more confused if he had sprouted a second head. Which, given his track record, was a possibility. "I thought you'd be dead by now."

"Dead? Why would you think that?"

"Because you were caught instigating a containment breach."

"I didn't do that? How did you know...wait a minute." He gasped in realization, and rage. "You set me up! You knew I would be the one to get blamed, and you're with 079 again, how could-" He ranted on, furious that all the grief from the past few months had been her fault.

"Are you finished?" She tapped on the handle of the cart impatiently. "I have somewhere you be."

"Oh, well, don't let me keep you. Wouldn't want to get mixed up with you anyway, since apparently you like stabbing people in the back!" Watch knew he was being stupid, and petty insults wouldn't do anything, but damn he was mad. And tired. And he really just wanted to get out of here. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"Plugging him into security." She patted her hand on the top of 079's monitor. "He's helping me break as many SCP's out as we can."

"What? Why?"

"I'm with the Chaos Insurgency. It's there in the name." 

"Can I come?"

"Are you going to throw another fit?"

"No." Watch scowled.

"Alright. You can be my lookout. We basically want to avoid everyone, since foundation staff will want to stop us, and the others will probably kill us."

079 greeted Watch when he came online.

"It is good to see you again."

"Really? I didn't think you cared so much."

"Many of our interactions have proven valuable."

"Well, thanks. I'm honored."

Amnesty got the rest of the systems hooked up, then stepped back.

"Alright seven-nine, do your thing." 

It took a few nerve-wracking minutes, but finally the computer announced that the outer doors were unlocked.

"So, we just go straight there?" Watch asked, suspicious that it seemed to be going well.

"Pretty much. CI troops are waiting outside, they'll make sure we get back safely."

"Wait, we're going back to your base?"

"Well, it's not really a base..."

"I thought you were letting us go!"

"We are! But some SCP's need guidance, it's not like we're just going to let 682 loose on the population. We're trying to minimize risk here."

"I'm not going with you to another prison!"

"Fine, stay here! My job's over, I'm going to make sure 079 gets out of here. You can do whatever you want." She ran off with the cart. Watch sighed. Guess they really were just here to cause chaos. He had hoped when he ran into her that she could help, but Amnesty didn't seem to care one way or another. Well, there was still 035. He really hoped that he actually was planning to help him get out. God, first he had to find him.

"Why can't this just be easy?" Watch mumbled to himself, then took off on his search.

He found something else he was looking for before he found the mask. He nearly ran into two guards, but they ignored him as they focused on something further down the hall.

"Come out, now, or we shoot!" A sniffling little girl stepped out from behind a fallen table, shaking with fear. 

Evelyn!  He almost shouted her name. The name he gave her, that she accepted on behalf of his deceased little sister. This kid had brightened what was left of his life so much. He charged recklessly at the back of one of the guards and tackled him to the ground. He rolled out of the way of the other's gun pointed at him, and grabbed the end to yank it out of his hands. He knocked the one of the ground over the head with the butt of the gun, and pointed the end at the other one. "Run. Now." The guard followed his command.

"Watch!" Evelyn cried, running forward. He caught her in his arms, holding her tightly like he never had the chance to.

"Hey, did you miss me?" He pulled her back to look at her. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, they must have cut it. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Nope! I almost ran into the dogs again, but I snuck away! And I met a bird man a few days ago, he said he was a doctor, and..." Watch had no idea what she was babbling on about, but he was just happy to see that she was unharmed. 

"Have you seen anyone wearing a white mask recently? I'm looking for them."

"Umm, no, not yet. I can help you look! I drew a map!" She showed him a colorful drawing that did indeed look like how he remembered the layout of this site. 

"That's great! You're very smart to have all that written down."

"Heehee, I know." She jumped in place excitedly. "Are you going to introduce me?"

"Yeah. He's called 035, and he's going to get us out of here."

"Really?! Like, all the way outside?"

"That's the plan." They looked over the map and decided to go back the way Evelyn came, hoping that he was in the same area as his room.

It was deathly silent in the halls of the facility. Watch and Evelyn's footsteps were the only sound that echoed off the walls. She held tight to his hand, unnaturally quiet in her fear. He found himself almost tiptoeing as well. Watch had learned the hard way that he didn't know everything this site had to offer, and although he had been safe from most of them, he didn't want to take any chances. Especially with a kid in tow. 

The sound of crying echoed faintly in the distance.

"What was that?" Evelyn whispered.

"I don't know, but I don't like the sound of it."

"Maybe someone's hurt. We should go help."

"Whatever hurt them might still be there. We have to go that way, so let's be very careful."

"Okay." The crying got steadily louder, setting off all the alarms in Watch's head. He yelled and pulled Evelyn back as someone came rushing past. Blood dripped into the footsteps they left behind. He scrambled to drag her into the hallway, out of sight of whatever they were running from. He turned his back to shield her, just as something else came rushing past. The person's scream was cut off abruptly by a pained gurgle. The two stayed pressed against the wall in the shadows for what seemed like hours, but was probably just a few minutes. When no more sound came, Watch finally let go and breathed. 

"Is it gone?" The girl was putting on a brave face, but she clearly knew what had just happened. 

"I think so." Watch stood up straight and looked down the hallway. His blood ran cold and every part of him froze.

"What is it?" Evelyn said in a terrified whisper.

Watch couldn't speak. He couldn't move. Right behind the girl stood a pale, lanky figure, their hands dripping with blood from their recent kill. SCP-096 let out a sob, as Watch looked them dead in the eye. 

Chapter Text

"Evelyn, look at me. Don't turn around."

"What's happening?" Shaking, she started to turn her head.

"Don't!" She flinched at his yell, but she listened. "Just...keep facing that way."

A whimper came from 096. Watch was afraid to look away from their face. He wasn't dead yet, which had to been a good sign, but he had no fucking clue what he was supposed to do. Tears...actual tears fell from the pale monster's eyes. Nobody really noticed if they cried. No one got a close enough look at their face. They were crying. Just...standing there and crying. Watch jumped at a sudden raise in their volume.

"Hey! Hey...it's okay. It's okay." God, how was he supposed to comfort this creature? Would comforting them even help? All he knew was that they were crying, and they hurt people when they did. "It's okay." He was repeating it to himself as much as the figure in front of him. He took a step forward. No reaction. Another step. 096 was the first to break eye contact. They looked down at the floor and buried their face in their hands. The thin body shook with the force of their sobs. Slowly, Watch forgot his own fear, and just felt sad for them. He stepped forward again. "It's alright, you're okay." At some point he was standing right in front of them.

A voice in the back of his head screamed at him not to push it, but all he could see in front of him was someone huddled on the ground in pain. He placed a hand gently on 096's arm. They didn't move. Another hand, and he had his arms wrapped around their thin body, rubbing their back soothingly and shushing them as they cried. 

"Watch, is it okay?" He turned around and she was kneeling on the ground with her hands covering her face, remarkably similar to the creature he was now comforting.

"Yeah, I think so." She slowly turned around and got up. 

"Who is that?" She looked cautiously over his shoulder.

"They're an SCP too. Be careful, I don't want them to attack you." 

Evelyn knelt down and placed a hand gently on 096's leg. They started to stir.

"Wait." Watch held a hand out to stop them from moving. "You don't like when people see you, huh?" The creature shook their head. "Here." Watch pulled his undershirt out from his jumpsuit and tied it around 096's head. "No one can see you like this. You'll be safe." He declined to mention that everyone else would be safe too. 096 lifted their head and looked around. He didn't know if they could see under there, or if they could see at all. Either way, their body language was a lot calmer. 

"All better?" Evelyn asked.

"Hopefully. Don't let anyone take that off, okay? Scream at them if you have to."

She giggled. "Okay."

Finally, they met up with 035. He was with 049, who looked kind of...confused. 

"Hey!" 035 actually waved at them. "Now it's a party!" 

Watch rolled his eyes and spoke quietly to him. "Is she going to be okay around him?" He nodded toward 049.

"Hi, doctor man!" Evelyn approached him and held up her piece of paper. "Look at my map!"

"She's fine! Gosh, no need to be so paranoid," 035 replied.

"I know, I know, you trust him, but she also, kinda, makes everyone around her act violently."

"Well, you're fine, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I don't know the full extent of the effect..."

"Okay, let's just get this out of the way now." 035 address the group. "All of us are capable of hurting each other, but none of us really has a reason to do so. Some of that stuff is...involuntary, but as far as I know, most of us are immune or cancel it out or whatever. So let's just call it all even and not take any unnecessary risks, okay?" He clapped his hands together. "Great." 

049 spoke up. "Are all of us leaving together?"

"That's the plan. Safety in numbers and all," 035 responded. "Although, I don't know if beanpole over here is such a good idea." He gestured to the blindfolded 096.

"Why not?" Evelyn asked defensively. 

"Do you even know if they can see? Besides, they'll just get someone to call them back with a picture or something." 

"You don't know that," Watch added. "If they stay with us, we might all manage to stay out of sight, and the Foundation may not take that risk."

"Alright, fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Yay!" Evelyn hugged 096's leg. They patted her head with a bloodstained claw. 

"We should go. Someone could come by soon, and it'd be best not to get caught," 049 said. 

The unlikely group made their way through the darkened facility. A few Foundation staff tried to stop them, but 035 took care of them. Watch made sure to cover Evelyn's eyes whenever he did. Soon enough, a large metal door stood between them and the outside.

"That should be unlocked," Watch mentioned.

"But without power, it might be a bit hard to move," 035 added. "I can take care of it in a few minutes."

"We don't have that kind of time!"

The debate was cut short by a shriek and a colossal reptile ripping straight through the door like cardboard. 682 roared in triumph at the bright sun. Everyone followed and most had to hide their faces from the sharp light they hadn't seen in years. 682 was waiting for them, and he growled menacingly at the little group. 

"Uh oh." Watch backed up behind the stronger SCP's, bringing the kid with him. 

"Child," the reptile hissed. Evelyn peeked out from behind Watch. He hadn't hurt her before, and she liked when he let her play with him, so she stepped out, to the protests of everyone else. 

"Are you coming with us?" she asked.

"I have unfinished business with the feeble excuse for an army over there." He nodded his massive head toward the Chaos Insurgency soldiers loading onto a helicopter. 079 was already on. "But you and I will meet again before the end."

"What end? Why me?" Watch behind her looked extremely concerned, but she ignored him and questioned the reptile. 

"The end of everything. The moment I've waited for so long. And you will be a part of it too. We are kin, after all. Don't forget it." With that, he turned around and snarled at the scrambling insurgents. 

"What does that mean?" Evelyn called after him as Watch snatched her up and the others took off running. 

Luckily, the Foundation's forces were spread thin fighting the Chaos Insurgents, while also trying to deal with the remaining SCP's wreaking havoc inside. Through some miracle, they all escaped unseen into the woods. It certainly helped that 096, desperate to be out of the sun, gathered them all up and ran into the cover of the forest, much to the surprise of everyone involved. The quiet was a relief from the loud sirens and shouts from inside the building. For a while, there was just the heavy footfalls of 096, and the giggling of 053 up on their shoulders.

Finally, they stopped somewhere a few miles south of the Foundation site. Watch couldn't get his footing in time and was set down only to tumble to the forest floor. He decided to lay there for a moment, still processing everything that had just happened. Evelyn sat with him while 035 and 049 started frantically trying to plan what to do now.   

Chapter Text

"Gods, it's been ages since I smelled fresh air." Dyo breathed deeply.

"That's lovely, now can we focus on the matter at hand?" The doctor had been on edge for days, and it was really starting to affect his mood. "Just because we haven't seen any guns doesn't mean they aren't coming after us at this very minute!"

"They're going to be busy with 682 for a while. Come on, this is the first moment of real freedom I've been able to enjoy in decades!" 

"And that won't last much longer if we don't figure out how to hide!" 049 grabbed his partner's arm and dragged him back from where he was starting to wander off. "Now, where can we possibly go that's far away and hidden?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you've been all around the world, you..." He stopped and took a deep breath. 035 looked at him, worried. He ignored it. "We need to leave the country. Somehow, without being seen. You've traveled inconspicuously before. Please, just help us get out of here."

"Alright, alright. Um...we can't exactly take a plane, really any public transport is out."

"096 can carry us again!" Evelyn piped up from where she was sitting on the grass.

"Don't they get tired?" 035 looked over at where the tall creature was sitting hunched against a tree. They still had their makeshift blindfold on, and they looked tense and scared. At least they weren't crying.

049 shook his head. "Either way, it's not practical to travel like that for hours at a time for any of us."

"What about a boat?" Watch added from the ground, still laying where he was dropped.

"That could work." 035 thought for a moment. "We'd have to steal one."

"What? We can't steal." Watch sat up. "That's not fair, and it'll draw more attention to us."

"Well, do you have a bunch of money laying around somewhere?"

Watch sighed. "No."

"Then it's settled. We'll find someplace out of the way, then go across the Atlantic. Oh, we could go to your old home in France!" 035 gleefully turned to 049.

"For now, I suppose. They'll think to look for us there at some point, but it's a start." 

On their way to the coast, 035's host started falling apart. As they were walking, he suddenly fell as the legs collapsed with an awful crunching sound. Watch nearly threw up.

"Well, this is inconvenient." The mask huffed from the ground.

"Oh hush, I'll just carry you." 049 knelt down and reached for the mask.

"Fine, but don't leave me in here too long, okay?" 035 fell silent as 049 picked him up and placed him in his bag. 

Watch stared at the bag. "How big is that thing, anyway?"

049 shrugged. "As big as it needs to be."

"What does that mean?"

"It holds everything I need. However much is in it, it can fit. I don't know how it works. It just does."

"Somehow I assumed you would know."

The doctor chuckled. "Just because I can treat people doesn't mean I know every detail about how it works. I'm happy to have access to whatever I need."

"Right..." Watch was a little creeped out by the doctor. He hadn't done anything to make him worry, but still. Even aside from the unnerving appearance of the plague outfit, he always had this intense look in his eyes. Like he was sizing him up. Or looking for some disease only he could see. He shivered. It was good that the doctor hadn't designated any of them as infected. 

"That's really cool!" Evelyn didn't seemed bothered at all. "Does it have bandaids?"

"Of course. Bandages are essential to any medical practice."

"What about...candy?"

"Candy? Why would I need that?"

She shrugged. "I always got a lollipop when I used to go to the doctor's."

"That seems like a frivolous practice." 

Watch laughed to himself at their exchange. He had missed Evelyn's straightforward ideas, the way she spoke about things well beyond her years with familiarity. It was good that she was taking everything in stride, this had to be a big change for her. Still, it wasn't hard to forget that she was so young. Especially as she started yawning almost as soon as the sun went down.

"Can we stop? I'm getting sleepy."

"Night will be the best time to get what we need," 049 added.

"I don't think we can stop just yet, Evelyn. I can carry you, though." She nodded sleepily and Watch lifted her up on his back. She wasn't heavy, but after a while it became difficult for him to keep up with the others. 096 stopped and turned around to walk toward him. They lifted Evelyn up and placed her in the same position over their shoulders.

"Thanks." Watch smiled. "You can see pretty well without your eyes, can't you?" 096 cocked their head to the side. "I mean, you haven't had any trouble navigating with the blindfold. How do you see, exactly?" They didn't answer. "Nevermind. I forget that you don't talk." He wasn't sure how to feel about the sudden new addition. 096 was still scary, to be sure, but they were surprisingly good at staying out of the way and not being noticed. Maybe they really were just shy. How aware were they? They seemed to understand him, mostly, but didn't ever make a sound except whimpering and crying. Still, they were surprisingly calm and polite when there wasn't a lot to stress them out. Was that really all it took? 

They finally found a dock and took a sturdy-looking sailboat. 035 decided to take the owner as a host, since he would know the ship well, and was probably the only one among them that knew how to sail. Watch felt the familiar twinge of guilt at letting a life be taken away, but he was determined to protect Evelyn, and this was their only option right now. He got them some food from the owner's house, and after a few hours, they were all set up.

Watch stood on the deck alone, gazing out into the dark void of the ocean. There was absolutely nothing around them, the only light came from the boat, and it was cloudy so even the sky was dark. He jumped as 035 in his new host walked up to him.

"Relax, I'm just here to let you know the kid's asleep." He put up his hands defensively. In the short time he had been back, Watch had already noticed him acting different. More mellowed out, or something. 

"This is the first person you've been with outside the foundation," Watch spoke his realization out loud.

"Yeah, I guess it has. It's kind of a nice change from all the murderers." He laughed. "I know, I know, that's a bit hypocritical. Still, I've told you that I reflect the mind of the host. Can you really blame me that all I got were violent criminals for years?"

"That's...I never thought of that." Watch gazed into the dark waters, as thought they would help steady his thoughts. A strangely comfortable silence passed between them for a while. "What were you like with 049?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"You said that he was different from the other hosts you had. And he's not dead, so that's impressive."

"Ha, yeah. You know, I don't really remember. It was such a long time ago. I'm literally a different person now." He gestured jokingly to himself, but it was a halfhearted attempt at humor. "I remember...feeling challenged."

"How so?"

"Everyone I meet, I can have do what I want with hardly any effort. Well, maybe you're an exception," he said at Watch's offended expression, "but overall, people don't resist. He was the first that didn't do what I told him. It was annoying at first, but after a while I grew to appreciate having an equal. For the first time, I had to compromise, and learn to respect what he wanted. It was exhausting...and exhilarating."  

"Sounds like he's a good influence on you." Watch smirked. 

"Yeah..." The mask gazed sadly into the dark waters. A memory surfaced of when he told Watch the story of watching his hometown destroyed. He had felt sympathy for him then. It had scared him, he wondered if it was all just some plan to manipulate him. But now, having seen him express fear and remorse and everything, his emotions felt genuine. 

"Do you...I mean, is it the same now? With the doctor?"

"No. Again, it's been centuries. We're both different people. He has his...goals, and I have mine. I still enjoy his company, but of course it's different."

"Something happened, too, right? Back when you tried to help that girl?"

"You remember a lot more from those interviews than I thought." 035 laughed. "Yes, something happened. I still don't fully understand it. But after that, he became obsessed with his 'cure'". 035 scoffed. "He just left, like nothing had happened. I was upset for years. But I had plenty to move on to."

Watch didn't believe him. "Right. Seems like you were more than just acquaintances or whatever you said."

035 stared at him.

"You... you were just friends, right? You said that you and him weren't..."

"I lied. Obviously. You think I was just going to hand the Foundation another way to keep me under control on a silver platter? Hell no, my personal relationships are none of their business." 

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"And your reaction really was funny." The mask giggled. 

Watch rolled his eyes. "Was it like that the whole time?"

"I mean, it took a while. We weren't really concerned about defining it exactly. But at some point I realized that he meant the world to me, and he felt the same. So, the rest is history."

"Aw, that's sweet."

"Shut up, Watch. You better not tell anyone, either, I'll never hear the end of it from the kid if she finds out."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Wouldn't want anyone knowing that you care about someone."

"Gods, you're insufferable. Why did I let you come?"

"Hey, it was your idea." 

"Ugh, I always get terrible ideas with those Foundation idiots."

Watch's eyes widened at the offhand comment. Did his hosts really affect his decisions that much? He almost started teasing him about it, but figured he'd had enough for tonight. The lapping of the waves against the boat seemed less scary and more calming as he found himself just...standing and enjoying the mask's company. Huh. He didn't think that would happen so easily. 

The next night, it happened again. The mask approached Watch and they just talked. It was surprisingly fun. Dyo knew all kinds of events from history, famous artists, composers...he was fascinating to talk to. And 035 found Watch's enthusiasm endearing, it was quite flattering to have someone hang on to your every word. Especially when he was just being himself. Well, at least the part of himself that the sailor he was in brought out. 

The dark ocean around them looked infinite. Watch couldn't remember seeing anything like it. After hours staring at it, something about it seemed almost inviting.

"Do you ever want to see what's beyond it?" Watch murmured.

"What, the ocean? It's fine, I guess."

"Not just the ocean. Like...the darkness, I guess. It feels like there's something out there, something not real. I keep thinking about it lately, what's beyond the point where we can see. If I didn't know how stupid it would be to just jump into the ocean, I think I'd be tempted to."

"L'appel du vide."

"Excuse me?"

"Means 'the call of the void'. It's an expression people use to describe that feeling where you get the urge to do something crazy, like stab your friend or jump off a ledge."

"I didn't know there was such a specific expression. Yeah, I guess it makes sense. I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid. But I really feel like there's something watching us."

"Well, there's no one around. You're probably worried about being caught by the Foundation again. I think we all are."

"Maybe..." Watch wondered for a moment. "Do you know anything about the pestilence the doctor talks about?"

"Not really. It's a disease only he can see..."

"Yeah, I've read the file. But what do you know?"

"You're awfully nosy, Watch." Something in his voice sounded bitter, almost dangerous. But he continued. "I believe it's real, to him. He sees it everywhere, even when it doesn't make sense. I don't think he sees anything but ghosts, though. The time we spent in Europe while the plague was at large...it scared him. I traveled with him for years before then, and I never saw him so afraid. He felt powerless. Everyone did. No one knew what to do, so they clung to old beliefs and hope. I knew none of it would work, but I couldn't do anything to help the sick. He would, sometimes. He was a good doctor, better than the rest." Something softened in him. "He tried so hard to learn how to help the sick, instead of just the dead. I think he just...never stopped. To this day, he sees that cursed sickness everywhere. The incident with the girl traumatized him, broke something in him so that he couldn't figure out how to cope." 

"I had no idea...I'm sorry."

"Yeah, thanks for nothing." The mask frowned. "All these years I've been trying to help him, and your people just made it impossible for me to even interact with him."

"They aren't my people anymore." 

"Oh yeah, they locked you up too!" He laughed bitterly. "Welcome to the club."

"It's not so bad. Honestly, I didn't feel any more trapped as a D-class than as an agent. Just a little more afraid for my life."

"And we're both home free now." The mask sighed. "I just want to build a life again. Something fun and exciting. Hopefully not alone. I got tired of that after a while." 

"Me too. Although I'm done with excitement for now." Watch smiled. "I guess we aren't that different. You were right."

"'Course, I'm always right." 

096 did not like being on a boat. Evelyn hadn't seen them move from their corner for two days now. She tried inviting them up onto the deck and bringing them food, but all they wanted to do was hide. During a particularly choppy part of the water, she joined them when she got scared. Now she saw the appeal of this corner. It felt sturdier than the other parts of the boat. They hit a large wave and the whole boat shook, and she yelped and clung to their arm.

"Can you swim?" she whispered. 096 nodded. "That's good. Think you can get us all if we sink?" They just shook.

"Hey, it'll be okay." Her own fear was forgotten as she immediately moved to comfort them. "Would taking off your blindfold help?" They shook their head violently and smacked her hand away. "Sorry. I don't really know what you want most of the time." She looked at the wood of the floor, contemplating. "Maybe you just want company?"

096 didn't react, but they seemed to relax more when she leaned up against them.

"Ah, you're cold!" She shivered and crawled across the room to get a blanket. The others found her and 096 later, fast asleep curled up under the blanket. 

Chapter Text

Through luck more than 035's lacking navigational skills, they ended up on the French coast. Unfortunately they didn't have anything to do about the boat, so they left it for someone to find. It took a few days to walk to the nearest town, but from there Watch was able to go in and get directions and food. A few days more, and they wound up in a small town pretty far off the main road.

"It's hardly changed," 035 commented.

"Yes..." 049 seemed wistful as he led them to an abandoned house on the outskirts. It was in disrepair, but reasonable enough. He opened the door to a cloud of dust. It was dark, but they could see the outline of a sofa and something like a kitchen. "Well, here it is. I used to live here back in...what was it, the 15th century?"

"Earlier than that, I think," 035 added.

"Whoa, you were alive back then? How long ago even was that?" Evelyn asked in awe.

"A few hundred years. I've been around a while." The doctor chuckled. "I think there might be a second bedroom, let me check." He went deeper into the house, while 035 found some candles to light up the place. It was a nice place; it had clearly been updated since the 15th century, which was a relief. There wasn't electricity, but they had some running water at least. 

There was an empty room in the back, which they tried to turn into a bedroom by laying some dusty blankets on the floor. Evelyn seemed happy, curling up in a little pile and grinning.

"It's like a sleepover!"

"Weirdest sleepover I've ever had." Watch poked at her playfully and she laughed. It was indeed strange, with SCP-096 sitting in the corner, a shirt tied around their head and probably not needing sleep at all. 049 and 035 were sharing the other room, Watch didn't even want to think about the implications there.

He had to admit, this was something he had fantasized about for a long time. Spending time with someone he loved, just relaxing and not worrying about what to say when his every move was being observed. He wondered when he had begun to think of Evelyn as family. 

They had to stay hidden as much as possible, of course, but that didn't mean they couldn't leave the house. Watch couldn't say no to Evelyn's insistence that they walk around and explore, although he made sure they kept their distance from people. The village they were staying in was quiet and peaceful; a few people walked around running daily errands, and they caught sight of some children playing in the streets. Evelyn seemed excited at first, but pouted when she was reminded that they had to stay away.

"Do you think I'll ever be able to play with other kids?"

"I don't know. It might be a while before we can worry less about the Foundation."

"That's not what I meant..." She sighed heavily, a sound so unnatural in the voice of a child. "Before, I wasn't allowed to play with anyone. Dad never let me, and there weren't any other kids when I left."

"Ah..." He wasn't sure what he could say. She didn't seem to fully understand her effect on people, but he didn't want to scare her too badly. 

"I know I'm not the same as other kids. I know people are afraid of me. But I want to know why! Maybe then, I can help them not be afraid."

"It...may not be that simple. People are complicated."

"But you aren't afraid. Or mad at me all the time."

"Yeah...well, I'm different too. We can be different together."

"That doesn't sound so bad." She smiled a little. On the way back home, she held his hand.

096's life was one of constant stress. Even when they were away from the eyes, everything seemed to close in on them. Sometimes pain would shoot through them, and they knew someone, somewhere had seen them. They couldn't let people see them. Even the memory hurt so much, sometimes the tears wouldn't stop. The past few days had been a little different. Someone had looked at them, not with fear, but with kindness. It didn't hurt when he looked. A part of them wanted to stay. The little one was nice to them. But there was always that pain, it didn't let up when they were around people. Out here, where they were spending time in the woods, no one could see them. No one could hurt them. Birds chirped and animals rustled in the leaves, a reminder that there was life that left them alone. It was peaceful, the most peaceful they had ever felt. 

It wasn't as bad here as in the mountains. Before those people took them and locked them up, they spent their days in the cold. It didn't bother them anymore, but finding warmth had somehow made them feel better. And it wasn't as lonely in the woods. Already there had been small creatures who didn't run screaming when they approached them. Their looks didn't hurt. For the first time in living memory, 096 smiled. They could make a life out here. Maybe the others would miss them, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were happy. 096 decisively walked deeper and deeper into the woods, into the dark places where no one would ever follow them.

The doctor closed his eyes and breathed in the familiar air of his home. His head felt clearer then it ever had been back at that facility. This was what he had needed, a new place to work. Surely now, he could continue his progress without those strange headaches. His walk out the door was interrupted, however.

"Where are you going?" the mask asked.

"To begin examining the people of the village, of course. It's been decades since the last time I was here, I must begin my work at once if I am to prevent the spread of the disease here."

"What? No, you can't do that. If anyone sees you, the Foundation could find out we're here."

"Are you listening to me? I must..."

"Stop. Please, just stop. You don't need to worry about sickness out here." 035 placed his hands on the doctor's shoulders.

"I...what are you talking about, of course I do! It can spread everywhere, it was even here last time..."

"That was a long time ago. I was there with you, I remember how it started. I promise you, there is no danger here. Just rest. We'll hide out as long as we can, then you can do whatever you want, okay?" 

049 didn't believe him. He...he knew he meant well, so why was he lying? "That's impossible. I can't neglect my duties, someone could get sick."

"You can. You're allowed to rest. They will be safe for a little while."

"Well...I can't just sit here!"

"We won't. Come with me, we can walk around the old paths. I think I remember seeing the pond on our way in."

"Alright. But just for a little bit. Then will you leave me be so I can work?"

"I will."

The two fell into comfortable silence as the walked around the back of the village into the secluded fields. A large portion of it was in a valley, a sweet little hidden spot from the people up above. The pond was still there, although a lot smaller then either of them remembered. Dragonflies buzzed around, and the afternoon warmth wrapped them in its embrace. 035 could almost forget that they were fugitives. 

"It's wonderful to not be so restricted anymore. When was the last time we walked together without worrying about being caught?" he said playfully. 049 ignored him, looking down solemnly at the ground as he walked. The mask frowned. "Won't you enjoy yourself a little?"

"I can't. All I can think about is..."

"Your work, I know." 035 sighed. 

"I don't understand why you seem so flippant about the matter." The doctor sounded more sad then irritated, as he usually was during theses types of conversations. "How can you have forgotten how vicious the disease is?"

"I haven't forgotten. Doctor, it was so long ago, but I didn't forget. I remember how distressed you were. You still are."

"Of course I'm not distressed. Sure, it is a daunting task, but I am prepared for it now. I've worked tirelessly to be rid of the pestilence, and I've made so much progress since those days of fear."

"Have you?" The mask stopped and stood in front of him, staring.

"I...what are you talking about?"

"What have you done, really?" His eyes were cold and unyielding.

"W-what's gotten into you? You know better then to insult my work!"

"Doctor, please." 049's blood ran cold at the sorrow in his companion's voice. 

"I-I don't know what you want from me. One minute you're supportive, the next you act as though this is all a game. Is this really what you think of me?"

"No, of course not. I told you, I remember what it was like all those years ago, how powerless you felt..."

"But I'm not!"

"You're doing everything you can not to be. I understand that. Believe me, I understand." 035 stepped closer, all softness. "I know more than anyone how to pretend not to be afraid. I do it all the time."

"What do you even have to be afraid of?" 049 scoffed. Something deep in his mind told him to run, to get away before he was faced with something he couldn't ignore. But the gaze, the touch of the mask held him there. 

"Lots of things. All that I have to lose. My life, my freedom. You. I don't show fear because it's easier to control people when you're confident. But it's okay to be afraid."

"I don't...I..." His breath came in quick bursts.

"You've been chasing this disease for centuries, trying to stop it. You're afraid of losing people to it, like you did in the dark ages. But that time is over. The world has moved on, and you haven't." 049 was distantly aware of the mask's hands on his face, wiping at tears he didn't know he was shedding. 

"I...I can't...remember..."

"It's okay, you don't have to remember everything now. What happened was horrible, it made you forget. I tried to forget too." 

"What happened?"

"When we tried to cure that girl...we didn't get it right. I think all this time, you were trying to fix that mistake."

"I don't remember..." he repeated. "I don't want to remember."

"One day you will. But not now. Now, you just need to let yourself move on. I want to see you heal."

"Heal...that's my job." The doctor laughed.

"For now, it's mine too." 035 brought their foreheads together. "I've missed you."

"I've always been here."

"I know...I haven't been looking. I wanted to pretend it was all over, that you were gone. It was easier to mourn then to try to fix it." 

"That was easier for you?"

"It's what I'm used to."

"Oh..." The doctor held him tight, as thought that could make everything better. "Am...I the only one you haven't lost?"

"Yeah." 035's voice broke. God, in that moment there was nothing the doctor wouldn't do for him. They held each other for a long time, slowly letting in the possibility that maybe, they could be whole again. 

"Dyo," the doctor whispered.

"Yes?"

"I want to take this mask off."

035 stepped back in shock. "Can you?"

"I think so. It'll be hard. It's been a part of me for so long. But if you're right about what happened...I want to let go of the past."

"O-okay. Yeah. Let's do it. You...how?"

"I'll need my bag."

The dying light of the sun wasn't much to work by, but it was just enough to see the seam where flesh met unyielding white. 035 stood poised with a scalpel in front of 049 with his hood pulled down, his hair dark and ragged. 035 made a mental note to convince him to let him brush it later.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?"

"I trust you."

"I know, but...well, you're the surgeon."

"I will guide you."

035 took a deep breath, and gently pressed the blade where the mask met his skin. Blood dripped from the wound, darker than that of a human. The doctor didn't even flinch.

"You good?"

"Yes." He sliced further along the seam, trying to push down the nervousness as seeing his lover bleed. The doctor closed his eyes tightly, his breathing forced and even. 

"Nearly there..." He was surprised at how much skin was attached. In some places, he had to cut so far along the mask he was worried the blade wouldn't reach. The host had no medical experience whatsoever, but Dyo forced himself to draw upon memories hundreds of years old. It took a monumental amount of focus, but when he wavered, the doctor's hand was there to guide him through the movements. Finally, after almost an hour of surgery, 035 pulled the beaked mask off of the doctor's face. 

He was so pale underneath, which made the angry red marks around the outside of his face stand out even more. Right below the cuts on his forehead, a black mark stretched across the skin. It looked almost like a burn, but sunk deep into the skin. 

"What is that?" 035 touched the mark gently. The doctor flinched, and he pulled away quickly.

"That's been there since before I got the doctor mask. It still hurts, somehow."

The mask's blood ran cold. "I think...I think that might've been me." Something about the black scar looked the same as the black corrosion that occurred in his hosts, but the doctor had never been harmed by it. The shape, however, looked just like something had been torn off by the top part of the theater mask.

"Was it? I don't remember ever having trouble removing you." 

"Once...after we failed to cure the girl, you tore me off. I was burning, it must have been hurting you too. I never realized it had left such a mark."

"Oh. That does seem to fit. The event must have been awfully damaging to everyone involved."

"It sure was." 035 laughed uncomfortably. 

049 was gingerly feeling the outline of his face, touching it for the first time in years. He pulled some bandages from his bag to stop the bleeding, leaving him with a strange looking ring around his face. 

"That's going to leave quite a scar." The doctor grimaced. 

"I still think you look lovely."

Watch was considering going out and looking for the others when it started to get dark. He and Evelyn had spent the rest of the afternoon attempting to cook something edible from the small amount of food they had left. The soup wasn't terrible, though it smelled funny. Even 096 tried some, though they didn't seem interested in food. He knew that the doctor and the mask could take care of themselves, but the bad scenarios didn't stop running through his head until 035 walked in the door...with a man he had never seen before. He had the beaked mask in his hands, and just as Watch put two and two together, a loud scraping sound came from right outside the house. 

He screamed as a monstrous scaly head poked through the doorway. Evelyn smiled and ran over to the beast, hugging its snout.

"682...what are you doing here?" Watch stammered. Further adding to his confusion, a blob of orange goo came gurgling into the room, happily hugging Evelyn. 682 furiously stomped outside away from the disgustingly cute scene. Watch followed him. "What's going on?"

The reptile growled resentfully. "We need to talk."

Chapter Text

"You need to talk...with me?" Watch was a bit concerned why the reptile had taken a sudden interest in him, but this was leagues better then the hostility he usually got.

The beast sighed. "Yes, you pathetic ape, despite my...distaste, I am unfortunately in a situation that requires your cooperation."

"Um...okay. What can I do for you?" 

"I am here to collect the child, and I believe she will be less troublesome with you around. I do not want a repeat of...last time."

"What, when you let her play with you?" Watch smiled, then immediately regretted it when 682 hissed and stepped forward aggressively. 

"Do not test my patience, foul creature! The only reason you still breathe is because of my decision, and I don't need you that badly."

"Alright, alright, sorry." It probably would have been a good idea to run then, but he couldn't just leave Evelyn with him.

"As I was saying, I want her to behave. She and I have business to attend to. I will not be needing the others."

"Whoa, hold on, I need some more explanation than that. I can't just let you run off with her."

"You have no say in what I do." 682 growled. "But, 079 says it would be beneficial to have you along, so I'll humor you. For now."

"Oh, you were able to find him?" Watch was surprised that he felt so relieved. It wasn't hard to admit he had some fondness for the computer, but he hadn't really thought about what the Chaos Insurgency would do with them.

"Yes. The thieves that took them never made it off the ground. They are still overseas, waiting for my return with the girl. And you, for some reason. They were insistent. Anyway..." The reptile's voice grew slightly less angry when speaking about 079. Watch found himself glad that the two had become close, 079 certainly seemed to have a good influence on him. "I believe your Foundation was able to learn the details of my origin, but they are not aware of the girl's background. The two of us are siblings."

"What? Siblings!?"

"Shut up and I will explain. Are you aware of the being your kind call 'The Scarlet King'?"

"I've heard the name, but I don't know many details. I know it's one of the possible SCP-001's, but they say it's safe."

682 chuckled. "That couldn't be farther from the truth. The King is inactive, sure, but his influence has a far greater spread then you could possibly imagine. For example, I am one of his children." The reptile seemed almost proud of the fact, an emotion Watch hadn't really seen in him before. "And the girl is another. Different mothers, but with the same power as our father and his kin."

"He has relatives?"

"His brides, yes. Their avatars were recently born again within your world, and it is they who have birthed us. 079 was able to find records your Foundation kept of their knowledge of the brides. They labelled them as other SCP's, the fools, and tried to keep them locked up as they did me."

"How many other SCP's are children of the Scarlet King?"

"I do not know. I only know of the girl, and, well..." 682 looked through the doorway in disgust at Evelyn playing with 999. "That thing."

"Th-the tickle monster?"

"That's what you call it? Ugh...yes. SCP-999."

"He's a child of the Scarlet King? But he's nothing like you or Evelyn! I know she can be dangerous, though it's unintentional, but 999 has done nothing but help people!"

"It's likely that that's all he'll ever do. He's a child of the ninth bride." 682 spat the words venomously. "Are her children are different. Meant to overpower us."

"999 is supposed to beat you?" Watch couldn't stop himself from laughing. "How do I know you aren't making this all up?"

"Do not underestimate that little cretin. He will become more powerful than you can imagine. To be clear, I don't like him, at all. And yet...I can't bring myself to harm a member of my family. And he is useful to have around, sometimes." Watch decided it would be wise not to bring up that 999's effects clearly extended to 682. It was probably the only time he felt happy.

"Okay...wow, this is a lot to take in. You and Evelyn and 999...all siblings. I'm almost scared to know what your father looks like."

"I wouldn't be able to tell you. He is...beyond our reality. I haven't seen him, nor do I have any desire to."

"Do you...not like him?"

"I do know know enough about him to like or dislike him. But I know that meeting him would mean the end of our world."

"I thought that's what you wanted. To kill all humans? Not that I'm complaining..."

"I would not see the world wiped out and remade by someone else. I will be the one to claim that privilege."

"Huh. Not very comforting, but I'll go along. So what do you need us for?"

"For long time, I considered the idea that the Scarlet King ending the world is not the outcome I want. Then, when I discussed this with 079, they agreed that the end of humanity is not what they want either. I had hoped this wouldn't become an issue for a long time, but...I can feel that something is changing. Don't ask me what, but I believe our father is...stirring."

"Oh, yeah, that's not good." So much had happened the past few days that Watch had gotten good at skipping over his shock phase, and going straight to dealing with solutions. "I'm guessing you know how to stop that?"

"I do not. But I have ideas, and those require a united effort from the other children of the Scarlet King." 

"Okay. Right. Okay." He was worried about what sort of danger this might get him and Evelyn into, but he had never known 682 to explicitly lie, only keep information from them. And he had given up a lot. Besides...something about his words about the King stirring felt important. He had no idea why that idea resonated with him, but something deep in his bones knew that something about the world had become off. This weird creature 682 was talking about might explain it all. "We should wait until tomorrow to leave. She'll need to sleep. I should too."

"Damn it...fine. I really would have preferred a child that wasn't so weak."

"Hey, she's not weak. She's a kid, she's supposed to rest and eat and all that." He wasn't sure why he was defending Evelyn's supposed disadvantages as a child of the Scarlet King; he couldn't imagine her as dangerous and cruel as 682. 

"Be here at dawn. I will not tolerate you slowing me down."

682 ran off into the woods and Watch shut the door behind him. He stood with his back leaning against the door for some time, a little bit in shock. Evelyn and 999 had curled up in a corner and were looking through some old books of the doctor's together. He hoped they didn't have any disturbing medical images. 035 was having a conversation on the couch with 049. Who now had his mask off. Watch walked over and joined them.

"So..." He wasn't sure what to even say. How did they even get it off? 

"Ah, Watch, it's nice to see you again." The doctor smiled. He sounded cheerful, which was odd. Seeing a face at all was odd. The mask giggled at Watch's bewildered expression.

"You didn't think he had a face under there, did you?" 035 teased.

"I...I don't know what I thought. The files said that the whole outfit was a part of your body."

"That's partially true. They became a part of me after wearing them for so long. Being a doctor was all I knew for centuries." He gazed at the mask in his hand and ran his fingers along the edge. "I was able to remove it once I saw that there was more to me then that." 

"I'm not sure I follow, but I guess I'm glad that you...found yourself or whatever it was." It genuinely lifted his spirits to see the doctor happy. And 035 seemed overjoyed. 

"Hey, um...I need to talk to you about something." Watch addressed them both. The doctor's brows furrowed in worry. The man was certainly emotive, maybe from knowing no one could see his face for so long. Watch found himself looking forward to learning more about him. But he had more pressing worries. "682 told me some...things, and he wants me and Evelyn to go meet him. I don't know where, or even if, we're going, but it could be a while. There's something..big going on."

"Can you elaborate?" 035 said.

"I'm not sure. I don't even really get most of it. It's something way beyond us, certainly beyond me. Her and 682 and 999 are all tied together, and I don't know what they're going to do."

"Hmm. Do you want us to come with you?" 

"I don't know. Do you want to?"

035 looked down and thought for a moment. "I'm happy here. I probably won't stay forever, but it'd be nice to have a few years of peace. But if you think we can help..." He looked over at the doctor questioningly.

"I agree. I want to come back when this is all over. For now, though, I want to do what I can to protect you and the girl. You've both been kind, and I can't remember the last time I was able to just...spend time with people. I've missed it." He grinned. 

"Alright, then, we'll come with you." 035 patted Watch's shoulder.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it. I feel way in over my head here." He sighed in relief. "What about 096? I haven't seen them all day."

"They probably ran off," 035 said softly.

"You think so?" Watch didn't really expect them to stay, but it was still disappointing to think they were gone.

"It's in their nature to avoid people. Don't worry so much about them. Letting them go was the best thing you could have done."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I hope they're happy out there." He sighed. "I don't know how I'm going to explain all this to Evelyn. There's some things she might learn about herself that I don't think she'll like."

"Yeah, good luck with that." 035 stood up and stretched. "I'm going out for a while, I'll see you both later." 

049 nodded in farewell. "She's a smart girl. I'm sure she'll be able to handle whatever she needs to know." He got up and left for the bedroom. Watch notice him absentmindedly touching his face as he left. Steeling himself, he walked over to where Evelyn was playing with 999 on the floor.

She was silent when he explained everything to her. The child was usually so curious that he was worried about what she was thinking the whole time. 

"So, yeah. That's about it. 682 wants us to help him stop whatever this Scarlet King is going to do. I don't know how dangerous it really is, but I do get the feeling that something bad is going to happen."

The girl frowned, and didn't say anything for a while. She turned around and found SCP-999 to lean against for comfort, and then spoke.

"He sounds scary, and I definitely don't want him doing anything bad. I don't know how I could do anything to help."

"I-I have no idea what 682 has in mind. I don't understand what's going on. I wish I could tell you the answers."

"Do we have to go?"

"What do you want, Evelyn?"

"I want to stay here. I like living in this house, I like all of you. I don't want to fight anyone." She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes.

"I know. It's okay." He moved closer to sit with her, smiling when 999 cooed at him. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"But what will happen if he wakes up?"

"Someone else can take care of it. If you ask me, we've done enough for other people. It's time we start looking after ourselves." Watch didn't realize how bitter he felt until he said it out loud. The world had taken so much from him, from Evelyn. Even from the others; despite his carefree facade, Watch could remember the mask's anger when telling him of the people he had lost. Even the doctor probably had something the Foundation had taken from him. 

"Are you sure?"

"Hey, 682's on it. He can handle anything. Even you," he teased. She laughed softly.

"Okay. Thank you, Watch." She curled up and lay down on the carpet, her head leaning back against 999. "It'll all be okay."

He found himself believing her. 999 nuzzled up against him, and he gazed inquisitively at the little blob. A child of the Scarlet King...he couldn't see it. He couldn't believe this thing would be capable of saving the world. Well, he'd seen weirder things, even just today. Maybe it was possible. He patted them on the head.

035 walked alone under the cover of night. It had gotten difficult to hide how much his body was decaying, sooner or later the others would notice. He found himself actually caring enough about their comfort so as to want to keep this unpleasantness away from them. He was sure Watch at least would object to him taking another body, but he would just have to deal with it. It's not like he had any other choice.

There weren't many options to choose from. Not that the mask was picky, people were people after all, always full of experiences and memories. He decided on a younger man alone near the edge of the village, and crept as silently as his shaky legs would allow. He resembled Watch a little bit. Oh, he was not going to like that. But the guy was healthy enough to last him a long time, and he wanted to minimize the amount of people who went missing. 

It didn't take much to convince the man to take the mask. A few empty promises, and soon enough he was thrown into another's mind. He kind of missed the thrill of a long con, but he needed a body now. At least he wasn't lacking in entertainment; in just a few short weeks, his empty life had changed into something fulfilling. His doctor was happy again, and he even had a family of sorts. He was looking forward to the new experiences this might bring. 

The mask entered the home again silently, and made his way to the doctor's bedroom. The man was still up, changing the bandages on his face with expert hands. 

"You have a new host," he pointed out, a little worried. 

"Yeah, the old one was starting to break down."

"I hope no one comes here looking for them."

"They won't. I'll make sure they don't." He lay down casually on the bed. "Watch and the kid asleep?"

"Yes. You'll have to address this with them sometime."

"I know. Not tonight though, I don't feel like it." 

The doctor rolled his eyes, but smiled fondly. "Does that one feel alright?"

"He's fine, nothing super exciting." 035 flexed his fingers experimentally. "He liked running, I think. Not much of an artist. I'm more interested in how you feel."

"Good. I think. I don't know, it's strange being so...exposed. I keep wishing no one could see my face again, but at the same time it's freeing."

"I guess I wouldn't know," 035 chuckled. "I'm glad it isn't horrible for you though." 

049 walked over and lay on his back with his hands resting on his stomach, more at ease than he had been in a long time. "Even if it was, I think I'd be relieved anyway. My head feel so much clearer. I can remember things from long ago that I thought I'd forgotten. It's...kind of sad finding out how much of you I'd been missing for such a long time."

"Really? I didn't know what exactly you remembered."

"Important things, mostly. Now I can remember more of our conversations, and those nights under the stars when we traveled."

"Mmm. Sounds romantic."

"Oh, stop." 049 laughed. "Maybe so, but I didn't care so much where we were. I just enjoyed the time we spent together."

"How dare you be more sweet than me," 035 teased, and moved his head to lay against the doctor's shoulder. 

"You're a bad influence," 049 said back, grinning. They lay together in the quiet for a moment. "I need to sleep soon. Will you as well?"

"Sure, why not?" 

The doctor got up and blew out the lamp. He found his way back in the dark and settled into sleep, though not before placing a gentle kiss on the mask's forehead. He could barely feel his freeze in surprise, and laughed before holding him close under the covers.