Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Another day, another round of testing for SCP-0643. He was in his first form; a two meter tall concrete statue that had the ability to shapeshift into anything. His two favourite researchers were in the cell with him. Arguing over what to ask him to turn into next.

"Sapnap you already asked Dream to turn into a giant penis. Don't do it again please," George said as he made sure his clout goggles don't fall.

Sapnap crossed his arms as he checked the list of previously done transformations. "Hey it was a joke. Stop bringing it up. Now I think he should turn into a parrot. Haven't done that yet."

"Nah what if he flies out the vent?" The short male said as he looked up at the cell's sole vent. "I think we should ask him to turn into a dog." George smiled at the statue with the smiley face on it, who'd been staring at the pair the whole time.

Dream made a sound like a whimper, a positive reaction to the suggestion. It was difficult for him to speak in this form so it was more common for him to make sounds like this.

"See even Dream approves," George gestured to him. "Alright, Dream can you see if you can turn into a dog for us please," Sapnap asked the skip.

The concrete statue began to morph into a dog. George and Sapnap took notes as the statue shrunk down. The finished product was a little concrete German Shepard.

Dream pranced on his little paws over to the two of them and laid down between them. He nudged George with his snout. It was a strange sight to look at since even as a dog he had that same smiley face.

When they finished taking notes, they started to pet Dream. Calm moments like this were rare in the busy facility, so they took advantage of them. It felt weird since the 'fur' wasn't exactly the softest thing. They sat there in silence, besides the occasional sound of Dream trying to bite George's hand.

George moved his hand away after the third attempt. A little annoyed he asked, "Can you please stop? My hand isn't food." Dream growled a little and began barking.

However his barking was cut off by an abrupt blare of the alarm. "Alert! This is not a drill. Keter class containment breach. All personnel head to the nearest safety shelter immediately! I repeat this is not a drill," the site's loudspeakers screeched over the alarm.

Outside of the Euclid class' cell the hallway began to fill with the sounds of panicking faculty. The two researchers disregarded their notes and swiped their key cards on the cell door. Before they left George paused in the doorway. He looked back at the now statue Dream with a sad smile.

"Sorry. We'll be back as soon as this breach is over," he said before running out of the cell. The cell doors slid closed.

Dream was alone. Like he always is in this stupid cell. Why do they have to leave? Why do they get to leave? Frankly it was pissing him off.

He began to shift, limbs grew from the blob to create gaunt arms and legs. The smiley mask melted into his head as his eyes enlarged and formed bright green irises. Dream stood to his full 3.3 meter height to lumber over to the container doors.

Then with a loud screech, he began beating at the doors with his brown stained claws. Was that blood or something else? Who knows, but the container doors had been smashed to pieces. The hallway was no longer packed but a few unfortunate souls still remained.

Screeching coming from that hallway added onto the chaos. When the walls had been painted with crimson red, the only one who walked out of the massacre was the skip. A pleasant smile was on Dream's third form; a human male who still wore that smiley face mask. He wiped a bit of the blood on his face.

He paused to scan the area. No sign of George or Sapnap. In a shaky yet excited voice, "George. Sapnap. I'm coming for you!" He grinned, for the hunt had just begun.

Chapter Text

While Dream tries to scour the site for his prey friends, George and Sapnap hunkered down in the safety shelter. A large crowd of faculty were inside with them, most of them sitting as they quietly talk to one another.

"So your friend is a basically cyborg? I wonder if they can do a good Terminator impression," George said. The curly haired researcher he was talking to flipped her silver coin as she thought about that. "Probably not, one time during movie night we watched Terminator and they got offended. Apparently the Church of the Broken God says it's heresy or something. Or that's what their branch says. I don't know man."

His mouth straighten and he shrugged at that. "Weird." He turned to Sapnap who had just woken up from a short nap. He'd been lacking in sleep as of late.

"How are you napping during the alarms," George asked. "Good question, its bec-." He was cut off by the door on the other side of the room screeching. Everyone in the shelter stood up in alarm. The woman George was talking to took that as her cue to leave, throwing the door next to them open. Lucky for her, because a few seconds later and Abel, or more commonly known as SCP-076, threw the other door aside.

The heavily tattooed skip bellowed a war cry before pulling out two black swords and slicing off the heads of those closest. George pulled Sapnap through the untouched door and they ran away from the blood curdling screams. Or was that them screaming? Who knows.

Together they ran down hallways like chickens with no heads until the screams had faded. However they didn't stop running until their lungs burned as if they were on fire. Sapnap stopped first because something caught his eye. Could it be?

Panting, he called to George, "George! Come back, I think I found an elevator!" His fellow researcher stopped a couple meters ahead of him and then walked back to him. Sure enough, Sapnap found an elevator. "C'mon, let's get inside," George said as he pressed the button to call it.

The doors slid open. Thankfully nobody and no bodies were in it. The pair stepped inside and sat down on the floor to rest as the doors slid closed behind them. Minutes passed by as they sat there together, George's head on Sapnap's shoulder. He'd taken off his clout goggles to clean the dust off of them. Despite the breach going on, they found a brief period of serenity.

It couldn't last long though. After all, curiosity killed the cat.

There was only two options on the elevator panel; the second floor and the third floor. George looked up at it. "Ever been on the third floor?" Sapnap looked at him then at the panel. "Nope." George moved his head off his shoulder to stand and stretch. "Wanna see?"

Sapnap nodded. So of course the third floor's button was pressed and they began to descend. Sapnap began to think and then his eyes widened. "Wait. Isn't the third floor where they store the more dangerous skips," he asked, tone filled with anxiety. George's face grew pale as the gears started to click in his head.

"I, I'm not sure," was all he said. The rest of the elevator ride was silent.

When the doors finally slid open, the place they were in were much darker than the sterile hallways of the upper levels. There was a security gate that guarded the elevator entrance from the rest of the floor. The pair's keycards were high enough to go through it, so they decided to explore. After all, this floor may be safer than the one above it since that one had an ancient killing machine on it.

Not even two meters away from the doors and the body of a D-Class laid in front of them. D-Class were disposable people in this place though, so it didn't matter too much. But they were still unsettled by the body and moved away from it quickly.

A bit farther from the security gate, they came across more bodies. This time there was a sole security guard body next to a pile of D-Class. One of them had their stomach cut open. Their small intestines still wiggled about, but it was slowing down as the D-Class bled out. George got so nauseous from the sight that he threw up besides the pile.

They decided to try and ignore whatever was on the floor after that.

After walking around while making sure to stay close to the security gate, they finally came across another person who wasn't dead or dying. Or so they thought. Sapnap had gotten to them first and then did a double take. "When were we in Minecraft?" Sapnap joked as the 'person' they'd spotted stumbling around was actually a zombie. It was even a little green.

Even though they worked in a site where there was literally a cannibalistic ogre in it's walls, the thought of zombies were a bit comical. George came a bit closer to it, but kept his distance from the staggering undead. He noticed a few stitches on the zombie though. "Who would perform surgery on a zombie? That's stupid," he remarked.

"Obviously some scientist worked on it or something. Poor guy, whoever this was is a zombie," replied the younger male. He looked at it stumble into a wall and fall down then turned his head to George. "Bet I won't hit it and not get infected or something?"

That made his voice go up at least two octaves in panic. "No you idiot! Don't touch it." He grabbed Sapnap's arm and tried to drag him away. "Whaatt? It's not like it's going to do anything," he assured him. There was a bit of joking in his tone though.

"Your associate is correct. Do not harm him, for I have cured him of the dreaded Pestilence," A cool voice behind them said out of nowhere. Both of them turned behind them in alarm to see a figure that towered above both of them. With that iconic plague doctor outfit, it was obvious that it was SCP-049.

"Hel,Hello 049 uh sir." George squeaked. He had heard of this skip before, who hasn't? All he hoped was that he wouldn't be diagnosed with the Pestilence or whatever the hell that is. "Greetings sir. It appears that your associate," he gestured to Sapnap, "is mocking my patient." The doctor glared at the two of them.

"I was joking 049, don't, don't worry about your zombie patient." Sapnap's voice was a bit shaky. He grabbed George's hand like a vice, heart racing. George let him, it was good to know his friend was scared too.

The doctor narrowed his eyes. "Oh but I must worry for you. Good sir, it gives me great sorrow to inform you that you have fallen ill with the Pestilence." 049 pulled out tools from his satchel. The pair's hearts dropped as the doctor continued. "Please allow me to cure you. Do not be afraid. I am the cure," He said with such confidence, as if it were fact. The skip started moving towards them.

Sapnap couldn't help but crack a joke in the face of death. "No thank you, I'm perfectly healthy and not going to listen to a doctor who kills then brings back the dead. I prefer my doctors without the necromancy." He nervously chuckled as the doctor stopped before spewing a spiel about how his cure was important and needed. All Sapnap did was laugh.

George didn't laugh though, that pissed him off. "Sapnap you dumbass! You pissed him off!" George growled as he began to run, pulling Sapnap along. He stopped laughing when he saw George's face. "Sorry! But he's an idiot, his cure is stupid and we all know it," Sapnap said. That didn't reassure George, it made him even more aggravated. "This is why we're going to die you bastard!"

049 chased them all the way back to the gate, but was too slow. They'd slipped past the security doors before he could administer his cure. The doctor yelled like a madman as they got into the elevator. "Sick! You are sick and you are too! I must cure the both of you! Let me through goddamn it!"

Then the elevator closed. The cat may have been killed, but satisfaction brought it back; and both of them were satisfied with never returning to the third floor. Back up to where they'd came from.

Chapter Text

The elevator ride back up to the second level is oddly... suffocating. Even with the clout goggles on, Sapnap knows that George is glaring at him. It felt like sun rays concentrated through a magnifying glass burning him. Coupled with the silence in the elevator, it was almost unbearable.

He began fiddling with his white bandana, working up the courage to say something. "Soo.." Sapnap's voice falters as George moves in front of him. Silence for few moments. Only to be interrupted by the sound of George slapping Sapnap in the face accompanied with a screech. "WHAT THE HELL?!" He yelled while holding his cheek.

"Get yourself together. What were you thinking? Cracking jokes about the one thing that pisses off that SCP? There is a time and place for jokes, and interacting with a potentially violent SCP is NOT a time for them." George's voice sounded stern, reminding Sapnap of when they first met. "Sometimes I'm amazed by how reckless you are. You're a fucking idiot! I can't have another person I know die during a breach all because a stupid thing they did!" He was yelling now.

"I, I was nervous! We were on the lowest level and I couldn't scream and I was scared ookay??" Sapnap stammered. "I don't care! You knew what you were doing" George said as he looked behind him to see how long they'd had left in this elevator.

He looked back at the man in front of him. "Three minutes. Three minutes to convince me not to leave you as soon as the elevator doors open. Because I won't be around to hold you while you bleed out." Sapnap took a deep breath to calm himself.

Then he said, "George. We need to stick together. I know you're angry and, and I did a dumb thing but please don't go. Take a deep breath." George did that. "Okay good. I'm sorry for doing a stupid thing. I promise to try and not make fun of the skips when they could kill us." He nodded as he slowly calmed down.

"May I uh hug you?" Sapnap asked as he opened up his arms. "No, thank you," George responded, no longer as angry before. Sapnap nodded and put his arms down. "I won't leave you. I'm sorry for calling you an idiot and slapping you, it's just that... Yknow." He gestured with one of his hands.

"Yeah I understand." He put a hand on George's shoulder, causing him to tense up a little. His shoulders relax a little as Sapnap pats it a little. Silence fills the elevator again, but this time it's breathable.

The elevator doors open after a little. George doesn't run. Instead they walk out together.

When they went down, the hallway was empty. Now it looked like someone tried to do some interior decorating with the corpses of a Mobile Task Force. Throw in some black acid puddles hissing on the floor for a finishing touch.

George squatted down next to one of black puddles, careful not to touch the bloody arm with the humerus popping out. "What are you doing," Sapnap asked as he took one of the MTF's guns.

"Trying to figure out what skip came through here," he said. He started mumbling to himself while trying to figure out where it came from. "106 is in another Site, 1837 is a mop, maybe 075? But how would it be able to get wet?" Sapnap tapped his shoulder and interrupted his investigation.

He hands him a gun. "Here. Stop trying to figure out whatever came through here and lets go before it comes back. Maybe we can go to Dream's cell and stay there." George took the gun, checked to see if it was loaded, then stood.

The pair walked down the way they ran from when 076 attacked the shelter they were in to trace their steps. Sapnap held his gun at the ready, but kept safety on. George held his too but without safety. Not much was said between them besides deciding which direction to go. Neither of them wanted to potentially draw whatever killed those MTF. Plus they were trying to listen for Dream, assuming incorrectly he was in his cell.

Behind them, a blonde haired figure stalked behind them. They always made sure to stay out of sight every time George or Sapnap turned around.

After a bit of this, both of them couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. "You feel that? That, whatever," George asked. "Yeah. Wanna find out what it is or do you wanna run? We have protection," Sapnap said, lifting his gun up a bit.

George looked around and pulled Sapnap into a dark office. "Let's wait here, maybe the thing will pass by," he said as he locked the door. They sat down in front of the door and waited.

Minutes feel like hours. The two men clutched their weapons in anticipation. A figure's shadow covered the light and the door began to violently shake. Stunned, neither of them didn't do anything as the door shook. After who knows long, it stopped.

Both of them let out a small sigh of relief but didn't stand until they heard what might be footsteps fading away. George stood up first. "Think it's gone?" He pulled Sapnap up. "Only one way to find out."

They got their guns at the ready, George going first. He unlocked the door and nudged it open with the muzzle. The hallway was like how it was before they came inside. Besides the black trail of acid that made his stomach fill with dread. Or was that always there? He didn't look down in fear of seeing someone's body. Should he take the chance?

Fuck it. "All clear," he whispered, successfully keeping the uncertainty out of his voice. George walked out of the office, Sapnap at his heels. They began their way out of the hallway while stepping around acid.

The blonde haired figure watched as they came closer to them. Waiting for them to get closer.

The pair gets close enough to the end of the hallway.

Now's their chance.

"Hello there!"

A voice like honey echoed through out the vast hallway. Sapnap and George screamed in surprise, turning around every which way.

The voice spoke again. "You two are real jumpy. Put the guns down. There's nothing to worry about hon." This time there was a discernible source; the end of the hallway, a few meters away. Both of them felt an ungodly urge to put down the guns, so they did. Then they looked at the source of the voice.

A blonde haired figure wearing a porcelain theater mask dressed in a MTF uniform stood before them. A few pieces of glass were lodged into the decaying throat. Viscous black acid dripped out of the holes of the grinning mask. Sapnap didn't recognize the skip but George sure did. "035?"

They clapped their broken hands together, somehow. "Oh my! You know who I am darling? I don't recall meeting someone as cute as you." Their voice teased George. Making him feeling a bit uncomfortable and yet his cheeks turned red at the same time.

Sapnap leaned towards George and whispered into his ear. "Never seen this skip. What do they do?"

Of course 035 heard it. They put their hand on their chest in disbelief. "What do I do honey? Why I'm a performer!" George rolled his eyes. "No, you're a sentient mask that possesses people. Sapnap, lets get out of here," he said while trying to pull him away.

The grin fell into a sorrowful face. "Leaving so soon? But darling, I need your help with something. Stay." They extended a hand covered in black to George. And just like that all urges to leave were suppressed. Kind of. Sapnap's instincts yelled to run, run far away from the mask with a soothing voice. But George wasn't trying to pull him away anymore.

"What do you want?" George asked. "Oh it's dreadful darling. You see, my poor body is breaking down. It's too weak to handle me." The mask's calf fell off, causing their body to stumble and fall onto George, who caught them. They grinned again as they put a hand on his cheek. He didn't pull away, bewildering Sapnap. "I bet your body could handle me. Would you be so kind as to put me on?"

As if in a trance, George started to try and grab the mask off of the MTF. However, Sapnap stopped him by pulling him backwards. "Nope. Y'know we have to do something like not being possessed right now. Bye." Then he started running, pulling George while holding his hand.

The mask glared at the pair, angered that they couldn't get a fresh host. "Come back here!" The sweet voice dropped down to a sinister tone that buzzed like a chorus of a thousand voices. Two dark red appendages burst out of the tiled floor, blocking the other exit of the hallway. Sapnap nearly slipped on some acid had George not yoinked him from doing so. He'd been freed of that strange trance 035 had on him.

George jabbed Sapnap with his elbow and then aimed his gun at 035. "C'mon, we have guns! Shoot them!" He screeched. Then he started shooting at them. Another black appendage burst out in front of the mask, shielding them from the bullets.

"It doesn't have to be this way darling. Just put me on! Then I won't have to kill your friend." The honeyed voice was back, though some of the more sinister voice could be heard. The pair stopped shooting and tried to make their way over to the office they hid in earlier. This let 035 run after them, though it was quite difficult when your left leg was deteriorating

A little far away from the fight, a certain concrete monster heard someone yelling. Dream paused to listen to the yell. "George? Sapnap?" He muttered before racing towards their voices. He started to yell their names.

His voice echoed through out the hallways and reached them. It was enough to make them and the mask stop for just a moment.

George yelled back. "Dream?"

And then he turned around the corner.