In the emptiness of a mysterious, unknown dimension, Maximus jolted awake in pain.
His head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes to what looked like pure space—endless, silent, and still.
"What the hell just happened?" he muttered, disoriented.
As the pain settled in his mind, flashes of memory returned. Maximus, the cunning brother of Black Bolt, was a royal figure of the Inhumans—once second only to the king of Attilan. But unlike his noble title, his heart was full of resentment. Ever since his exposure to the Terrigen Mist, which gave him powerful telepathic abilities, he despised his brother for becoming king.
And so he schemed—a coup to dethrone Black Bolt.
But before his rebellion could take shape, disaster struck Attilan.
A terrifying angelic being with ten thousand wings descended from the sky, destroying the Inhuman city with divine wrath. Maximus remembered it now—how even Black Bolt's devastating sonic power had failed. Not only was the angel unaffected, it grew even more powerful, until Attilan was no more than a memory in fire and ash.
Now, standing in this empty realm, fear crept into Maximus' chest.
"What is this place…?"
Then he remembered something else—a moment of consciousness in this void—and how he had attacked a human from the Future Technology Company. Fury returned to his face.
"Damn humans! Always meddling! I am a noble Inhuman! I am the true king of Attilan!"
Clang!
Maximus was cut off by a sudden metallic sound. He turned to see a massive column of cryogenic chambers, glowing ominously.
"What in the world…?" he mumbled, approaching them with caution.
As he neared one of the larger cylinders, a sharp hiss and a click sounded. Maximus recoiled as vapor escaped the airlock. His breath hitched. Out of the fog emerged a monstrous shadow, and each footstep it took reverberated through the void like a drumbeat.
Boom… Boom…
It felt as if each step crushed Maximus's chest, making it harder to breathe.
Then the mist cleared.
Before him stood SCP-682—The Hard-To-Destroy Reptile.
A grotesque fusion of crocodile and lizard, its six-meter-tall frame was covered in armored, brown-black skin. Muscle rippled under its scales, and its jaw was filled with razor-like teeth. Its eyes, blood-red and swirling with hatred, locked onto Maximus.
An icy fear gripped Maximus's soul.
"I—I am the king of the Inhumans!" he stammered, trying to summon confidence. "I was mutated by the Terrigen Mist! I command minds!"
He glared at 682. "You're just a failed experiment! A freak! I—"
Whoosh!
A violent gust of wind slammed into him before he could finish.
Maximus didn't even realize he had been hit. His body was torn apart mid-sentence, his blood misting through the air.
In three seconds, he was erased from existence.
SCP-682, unfazed, calmly turned and walked back into its chamber. Silence fell upon the void again.
Elsewhere, in the Marvel Universe, viewers who were watching this feed from the Future Tech broadcast had no idea what just occurred.
When the camera resumed, James appeared on screen, dressed in his familiar white coat. As he walked through the halls of the secure Foundation facility, personnel nodded in respect.
"Dr. James."
"Sir."
"Hey, Dr. James, can I sign up to care for SCP-999 next Wednesday?"
James didn't answer. He was focused, moving with purpose.
Eventually, he arrived at SCP-999's chamber.
Inside, the tickle monster was frolicking with two female researchers, rubbing up against their legs like a friendly puppy. It made cheerful sounds, giggling and wriggling with glee.
When James entered the room, SCP-999 immediately abandoned the others and rushed toward him, letting out a gleeful whimper and wrapping its jelly-like tentacles around his legs.
James knelt, and SCP-999 reached up, rubbing its squishy body against his face while emitting a pleasant scent—one the researchers debated whether it smelled like roses or tea leaves.
For a moment, James's cold demeanor softened.
From the observation room, the viewers couldn't believe their eyes.
"Is this real?! Dr. James is showing affection?!"
"This is more unbelievable than the fact that SCP-999 is the child of the Crimson King!"
"I'm crying! SCP-999 is a literal miracle!"
Even Natasha Romanoff, watching from S.H.I.E.L.D., turned green with envy.
"I get sent on field ops and this guy gets to cuddle SCP-999? Unbelievable!"
Just then, a new figure appeared—Dr. Clef, the eccentric and terrifying SCP scientist.
He wore a stained coat, and his face was still obscured. His presence made the two female researchers instantly retreat.
SCP-999, too, froze in fear, and then hid behind James. It cautiously peeked out at Clef.
"Seriously? Kondraki gave you SCP-999? Since when did he become generous?" Clef muttered.
James didn't answer. Instead, he asked plainly, "What do you want?"
For once, Clef didn't respond with sarcasm.
After a long silence, he sighed. "I need a favor."
James raised an eyebrow. "I don't do illegal work."
Clef laughed bitterly. "You? Please. You did worse during the execution of SCP-239."
Still, James stared, unamused.
"Alright, alright, I promise it's within Foundation guidelines," Clef said, throwing up his hands. "Just listen."
He lit a cigarette and took a puff—only for SCP-999 to protest loudly.
"Back off, slimeball!" Clef barked at the blob.
"Cack!"
James sighed and gently motioned for SCP-999 to calm down. It backed off, still glaring at Clef.
Clef took the chance to whisper, "It's about SCP-166."
"SCP-166?" James repeated.
The moment he said it, viewers in the live room exploded with interest.
"NEW SCP ALERT!"
"What's 166? What did Clef get himself into this time?"
Before any answers could be given, the feed cut to black.
"No! Not now!"
"I swear, this system is trash!"
Even Natasha smashed her fist on the console. "What is going on?!"
Nick Fury stayed silent, thinking deeply.
Was the blackout an accident?
Or was it James himself who erased the footage?
Fortunately, the video resumed after a few seconds. Clef had vanished, and James was now in the office of Dr. Kondraki, another infamous figure within the SCP Foundation.
"Clef asked you for help?" Kondraki blinked in disbelief. His cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth.
James nodded. "It's SCP-166."
Kondraki's face immediately turned serious.
He didn't speak. Instead, he walked over to a secure filing cabinet and retrieved a worn document.
On its cover, in big block letters, was written:
SCP-166
Just A Girl Gaea
Object Class: Euclid
The camera zoomed in as James opened the file and began reading.
From the live broadcast chat, curiosity surged.
"Euclid class… not Keter. That's a relief."
"Wait, 'Just A Girl Gaea'? That sounds… ominous."
But while most of the world was still watching the feed and reacting to James's new task, Peter Parker, seated high in the Future Technology Building, stopped breathing for a second.
His eyes widened.
He had heard that name before.
SCP-166…
And he knew, deep down, that whatever was coming next was going to change everything.
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