Silence.
A deathly, suffocating silence filled the livestream.
Viewers across the Marvel universe stared blankly at the screen—shock, awe, and fear etched into every face.
One second…
Two seconds…
Three seconds—
And then the livestream erupted.
> "Oh my god! How can a human wield that kind of power?!"
"That's stronger than a nuclear blast!"
"She nearly wiped out the entire city!"
"This is insane—completely insane!"
---
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
Every agent stood frozen. Eyes wide. Mouths agape.
Even Nick Fury clenched his fists, his one eye trembling as he stared at the screen.
He had faced gods, aliens, and cosmic horrors.
He had seen Captain Marvel tear through fleets and Thor summon storms.
But this—
This was something else entirely.
D-77777's attack wasn't just power.
It was annihilation.
A single strike that could erase an entire city.
A power that shattered the laws of existence.
Fury swallowed hard.
Can the Foundation really stand against something like that?
---
Kamar-Taj
The light on the screen was so bright that the young apprentices had to shield their eyes.
Only the Ancient One stood still, gazing upward, her expression unreadable.
That light—it wasn't magic.
It was something far beyond.
Among all SCP-3396's infected, D-77777's power was the most terrifying she had ever witnessed.
But even as she marveled, a new thought filled her mind.
> What about Leon Lake?
---
Old Vegas — Ruins of Civilization
Thick gray clouds gathered over the city's ashes.
A soft, mournful rain began to fall.
From the distance came cries—and the faint sound of flapping wings.
Then, a hurried voice came through D-77777's commlink:
> "Soldiers! Hundreds of them! Entering the ruins from the west gate!
They've got guns, armor, War Machines!
It's the Foundation! They're coming for us!
Their commander intends to capture civilians and execute anyone who resists!
We must defend our home—now!"
A flash of sunlight pierced through the storm clouds in Monica's mind.
She staggered to her feet. Around her, chaos spread.
Civilians shouted. Defenders scrambled into position.
Then, a calm voice echoed directly into her mind:
> "I will establish a telepathic communications network. Command your defenders through me.
I'll read the minds of our enemies—and banish their aircraft from our skies.
Be strong, my queen. Lead us to victory."
The voice vanished.
Monica clenched her fist, slamming it into the ground as she rose.
Her soldiers fell silent, awaiting her orders.
> "All combat units, report to battle stations!"
"Captains! Coordinate with Norman—get everyone to the west gate!"
"Maintenance Team, dig up 200 yards of 55th Street! Collapse the road! Stop those damn tanks!"
"Ghost! Scout the perimeter and report back every ten minutes!"
"Battle Teams, move up! Square formation!"
Her voice roared like thunder.
> "This isn't a drill, people! Let's show these Nazi bastards that Old Vegas doesn't fall!"
A thunderous roar answered her cry.
The defenders of Old Vegas shouted as one—their voices shaking the ruined streets.
---
And then, the Foundation arrived.
---
The livestream audience watched with breathless anticipation.
This wasn't just a battle—it was a clash between ideologies.
The Foundation was unmatched at containing anomalies…
But could they contain a living army of anomalies?
And through all this chaos, a single question echoed in everyone's mind:
> "Where is Leon Lake?"
---
The Battlefield
D-77777 stood at the end of 55th Street, staring at the incoming Foundation forces.
They advanced in perfect formation—methodical, silent.
Behind her, mutant defenders manned their artillery lines.
The Foundation's numbers were overwhelming—three times larger than the defenders'.
Their heavy tanks rumbled, but the shapeshifters had torn deep cracks into the pavement, blocking their advance.
At the front, a tall, unmasked commander raised his voice.
> "Attention, mutants and sympathizers!
The Foundation cannot allow this infection to spread further.
For the safety of all humanity, we demand your surrender.
Lay down your weapons and submit to containment.
If you resist—your destruction will be on your own hands.
Make the right choice. For all of us."
The commander's voice echoed like a funeral bell.
The Foundation soldiers stood behind him in perfect, emotionless stillness—like rows of black tombstones.
Across the street, Monica's soldiers sneered.
Some raised their weapons, eager to fight.
A mutant with a body of shifting stone slammed his fists together, shaking the ground.
An ogre swung a steel club, roaring as the pavement cracked beneath his feet.
Above them, an invisible psychic hovered in the air, his many eyes shimmering—
telepathically connecting every defender to their queen.
They were one mind. One will. One defiance.
---
Monica took a deep breath and shouted,
her voice echoing inside the Foundation soldiers' heads through Norman's telepathy:
> "We will never bow to your tyranny!
We may be different—but we are still human!
And we will fight to the death for our freedom!
Bring your hatred! Bring your war!
Attack us, enemies of liberty—and see how we stand!"
> "We are the Free Federation of Vegas…
And we will. Not. Take. A. Step. Back!"
The defenders roared in unison,
their voices shaking the concrete and the heavens alike.
Even the Marvel universe fell silent before their defiance.
For the first time, the audience saw the infected not as monsters—but as people.
People who wanted freedom.
People who wanted to live.
And suddenly, the Foundation—once the symbol of order—looked like the oppressor.
The viewers fell quiet.
Somewhere deep down, everyone began to hope.
Hope that someone—anyone—could stop this tragedy.
---
Death Valley
The image on the screen flickered.
The battlefield faded into mist.
And then—Leon Lake appeared.
He wasn't in Old Vegas.
He stood alone in a desolate canyon.
The rocky cliffs stretched endlessly, painted in a pale blue glow.
The world itself seemed to blur between reality and dream.
Leon stood there—small as an ant—staring up at the massive, luminous entity before him.
And when the audience saw it, they froze.
> "What the hell… is that SCP-3396?"
"Oh my god, it's alive!"
"So this is the extradimensional entity… it's enormous!"
"Wait—is Leon going to touch it?"
"He's actually walking in?!"
---
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Every agent went silent.
Even Fury forgot to breathe.
This was it—SCP-3396, the anomaly that could make humans into gods.
To most, it was a dream.
To Nick Fury… it was a nightmare.
He saw it not as a gift—but as the magnifier of humanity's sins.
And yet… Leon Lake walked forward.
---
O5 Council Observation Site
High on a ridge, the Overseers watched from afar.
Leon stood at the mouth of Death Valley, blue light bathing his face.
For a long moment, he didn't move.
Then, he stepped forward—into the light.
The Overseers watched silently.
O5-4 broke the quiet first.
> "This is reckless. Even if the Snow Mountain Stone Project fails, we still have SCP-2000. We can rebuild humanity."
O5-10 turned sharply.
> "Three, you of all people should know—SCP-2000 isn't a reset button! The 'Flower' has already withered, and all that's left is the 'Thorn.' The timeline won't recover!"
She glanced at the data display.
> "Look at the readings! The orange zone has already shrunk by two percent!
We're the Overseers of humanity, not its cowards.
Without courage, our species would still be hiding in caves!"
O5-2 finally spoke up.
> "If the world's already burning… then let the researcher try.
That kid always manages to surprise us."
One by one, the others began to agree.
> "He found the Antimemetics Division."
"He helped contain SCP-239."
"He's rational… reliable."
O5-10 looked to O5-1, who had remained silent.
O5-1 sighed softly.
> "Then let's put it to a vote.
All in favor of allowing Leon Lake to make direct contact with SCP-3396—
and to prioritize its containment and neutralization as our primary directive."
"Agree."
"Yes."
"…Abstain… it's too risky. He could become something far worse."
> "Or," O5-10 replied, "he could become a better executioner than Dr. Clef."
Silence fell again.
Then, one by one, the Overseers raised their hands.
The motion passed—unanimously.
---
And as the world watched, Leon Lake stepped into the light of SCP-3396.
A mortal man, walking willingly into godhoo.
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