SCP Ragnarok Runners

Operation road trip part two: Standoff

  Y/n sat there in momentary stunned silence. The hot sun baked her skin but couldn't compare to the heat of the smoldering truck that made her feel like her skin could develop blisters if she got any closer. Y/n could see more cars stopping and had a split second to make a decision. Become a local ghost story on reddit or wind up on the five o'clock news. Y/n chose the ladder as she picked up TJ in one arm, and SCP-166 in the other. She sprinted jumping over the nearest electrical fence!
  She jumped like a deer, prancing quickly through the field as she became nothing but a blurred figure to the phones that the onlookers began to pull out. She was across the wide field in a under a minute, making her way into the nearby woods. TJ struggled in her arms as she slowed down, stopping as she set the two SCP back onto the ground. SCP-166 seemed to slowly recover once she was far away enough from the smoke. She spoke softly, in a confused tone.
  "Where... where am I?" SCP-166 asked disoriented.
She looked around as Y/n slumped against a tree, looking back toward the field and the burning truck across it.
  "It's more of a where are we situation. The answer to that is farmland somewhere far outside the city limits. We are hundreds of miles from our destination." Y/n explained.
  "Oh..." SCP-166 said slightly worried. "Do we at least know which direction we need to go?" She asked hopeful.
  "Actually, yes," Y/n said with a smile. "Northward. A place where its cold but quiet."
Y/n was trying to think of every way they could make it there, but every logical way was shot down by Chime. Most of them had to do with public transportation. There was too high of a chance someone could be a smoker and send SCP-166 into an asthma attack. Not to mention her ability wouldn't allow them to travel. Y/n sighed deeply as she laid down on the soft grass looking up to the sky through the twisting tree branches.
  TJ slowly laid to Y/n's right looking up to the clear blue sky as well. Hesitantly SCP-166 moved to lay to Y/n's left. The wind gently blew the scent of the burning truck in their direction as SCP-166 scrunched her nose. Birds sang above the group beautifully as SCP-166 broke the tranquil peace.
  "Y/n?" SCP-166 asked hesitantly.
  "Yea?" Y/n responded giving her a glance.
  "What... what do normal teenagers do?" SCP-166 asked looking into Y/n's eyes.
Y/n raised a brow as she had to think about it for a moment on the sudden question.
  "That's one of those questions without a real answer." Y/n replied confident.
  "What do you mean?" SCP-166 asked confused.
  "Well," Y/n began. "As there are many types of people there are many types of teenagers. Normal is a word people like to throw around a lot. For instance, when a teenager is interested in horror, it's seen as not normal or normal depending on who you ask. Now if an adult told you they were a horror fan you would probably ask them what their favorite movie was without thinking much on it."
  "Pardon, but I still don't get it...."
SCP-166 seemed more confused as she frowned. Y/n tried to explain it easier since she didn't do the best job.
  "Everyone has their own version of normal. Some teenagers don't like to go outside, and some do. Unlike us they don't have superpowers and they aren't special. Not a single one of them. However, that doesn't make them not special."
  Y/n began to see a hint of understanding behind the other girl's eyes, so she continued speaking.
"Out there you will find people who think like you do, dream like you do, eat, sleep, fight. Someone out there could be an exact physical copy of you down to the details of your life however, there is only one you who is you. You make the choices on how you make yourself feel special."
  "We are, all children created in Gods image Y/n. Are you implying something like... no one is perfect or important in anyone's eyes but your own?"
Y/n shook her head as she took a deep breath.
  "God has nothing to do with this. Life is full of paradoxes and that is why it's so confusing. Everyone is special because there is one of them controlling their body and their fate. We write our own stories every day, and if there is a God... he is our audience."
Y/n smiled as she looked back into the eyes of SCP-166. She gave her a pat on the shoulder before continuing.
  "I want to live in a way that makes me happy and the people I love happy. For me, normal is just doing me. Even if my life isn't normal."
  "Did we hit our heads harder than normal? We are being awfully preachy right now." Chime teased as Y/n rolled her eyes sitting up.
  "Lucky for you I don't charge for questions. Now, let's get on the road!" Y/n insisted as both SCP beside her stood up.
  "Where are we to go?" SCP-166 questioned.
  "I'm working on that still," Y/n answered unsure. "However, we won't find the answers here."
Sirens rang out in the distance as the three made their way through the woods along the field keeping out of sight for now. Along the way Y/n nearly had a heart attack when a deer jumped out from behind a bush, summoning a longsword on reflex. SCP-166 looked to her sheepishly as Y/n put the sword away. It was going to be a very long trip.
  Clef had set up shop in one of the meeting rooms on the upper floors of Site 19. He sat in a chair with his feet up on the table, twirling a shot glass full of scotch around clinking the ice cubes inside. All non-essential personal had been evacuated, meaning the only people left to fight were those who knew how. Across the table on a large corkboard was the information he had on the Ragnarök Runners. Was he obsessed? Certainly. He had a trouble of letting unfinished business go, and an escaped reality bender was on the top of things he needed to cross off his list.
  The incident with SCP-2086 had yielded the results Crow had expected. They were being bioengineered to kidnap people without putting them to sleep. His three eyes drifted over to the file of Y/n stappled to the wall as a baby. She never showed signs of anomalous properties until she encountered SCP-2086. She didn't get sent to be used in some experiment but was instead given a normal life. That in on itself was the least weirdest thing. The SCP that acted out of their normal habits. SCP-990 and SCP-1155. SCP-990 could be explained with ease, but SCP-1155? Not so easily explained. It was caught on camera moving. While that irritated Clef he wasn't sure if it had any real relevance to his investigation.
  "Scotch? I figured you for a rum man."
Clef turned his head slightly to see Bright entering the room.
  "I figured you would have been gone by now, Bright. You may work pretty high up on the site, but that doesn't mean you need to stay and fight."
  "Yea, well. I can't just let you wallow in self-pity," Bright told Clef as he sat next to him. "Still working on your freaky mind board? You've been at this since Y/n and company went missing during the attack yesterday."
  "It all adds up to a rat in the Foundation." Clef said as he downed a shot of his scotch, pouring himself another round.
  "That much is obvious. The computer hacking, the leaking of information. The knowledge of SCP beyond any normal researchers reach."
  Bright took Clef's scotch bottle, drinking directly from it.
  "Who are your main suspects? O5 maybe? I really hope its Janet from HR."
  Clef rolled his eyes, yanking the bottle of scotch from Bright before continuing.
  "It makes sense but doesn't," Clef said frustrated. "Not counting SCP, these are the most powerful people in the world who could make any leader around the world do a backflip off a trapeze wire if they gave the order. Money, power, woman or whatever they're into. They could make Epstein's Island look like Disney land and kill anyone who even thinks about if it exists with a cognito hazard."
  "I suppose that makes some decent sense, but it can't clear them off the board. Unless we really know what the Ragnarök Runners are all about you can't put in the final puzzle piece of what the rat wants."
  "Which is why they aren't off the board."
Clef took another swig of scotch. Bright reached over, earning a cornful gaze from Clef before Bright refilled Clef's glass. Surprised, Clef nodded in thanks.
  "I almost wish I could have as much faith in you do in that kid, Jack."
Bright turned to Clef with a confused, and flirty expression.
  "I didn't know we were on a first name basis~ also, do you mean Y/n? Well...I have to."
They both knew they had to be careful with what they said. The walls had ears no matter where you looked.
  "Whether we like it or not she has been an asset to the Foundation. As her powers grow though..."
  "She becomes a bigger and bigger threat.," Clef said finishing Bright's thought. "Don't tell me the orders finally came down to either kill her or contain her?" Clef asked with a fake smile.
  "It's rumors among the staff. Ever since her encounter with SCP-451 its behavior has become slightly more upbeat. With how the Foundation reacts we never know how things will turn out. Ever heard about just another murder monster?" Bright asked.
  "What?" Clef asked confused.
  "SCP-5031." Bright clarified. Clef thought for a moment.
  "No, not that I don't care." Clef said sarcastically.
  "Super cool, makes a mean sandwich. Anyway," Bright said clearing his throat. "Even dangerous creatures can be useful. If you use them right."
Clef turned toward Bright with a mixture of disappointment and annoyance on his face.
  "Careful, you're sounding like a certain butterfly kisser." Clef warned.
  "All I'm saying is as you don't bite the hand that feed you, you don't abuse that which you feed."
Before their argument could continue an alarm sounded! Clef smirked as he chugged the last of the bottle, wiping his lips as he slammed it down on the table.
  "YATZEE! They're finally playing my song." Clef said relieved.
Finally, something was happening to take his mind off the cork board as he shook his head. He fought better when he was buzzed.
  "I'll get the chainsaws and the Hello Kitty bandages. Meet you out front!" Bright said, his demeanor changing as he raced away.
Clef reached under the table, pulling out his shotgun and his ukulele. He strapped the ukulele across his back as he racked a shell. It was showtime. Boots echoed from out in the hallway as he threw open the door. Clef grabbed a random MTF by the back of their armor.
  "What's the situation? Did they show up in the cells?" Clef asked.
The MTF wriggled loose from Clef before responding.
  "No, someone showed up on the runway alone." The MTF explained as he rushed off.
Clef frowned. One man? Clef could imagine only one person who would show up alone in this situation. Clef made his way outside of Site 19 as he pushed his way through the crowd. Each MTF soldier had their weapons pointed at one man.
  "So, you are the original Alto Clef." The Mad One said somewhat impressed.
  "And you're the mad dog that thinks he can take a bite out of the SCP Foundation," Clef said unimpressed. "You look like if Tweety Bird had a goth phase." Clef said amused.
  "I already know you don't intend to give up the SCP. I was surprised to learn that you knew about my plans! However, I guess I would be the pot calling the kettle black. Where did you send them all?" The Mad One demanded to know.
Bright pushed through the crowd holding a chainsaw with tiny detachable chainsaws mounted to the side.
  "I left you a map!" Bright said as Clef narrowed his eyes at Bright.
  "A map? Where is it?" The Mad One asked curiously.
  "Go straight into the base, take a left into guest services, and open up the supply closet with a six on the door. Next, lift up the mop from the bucket and use it to GO FUCK YOUSELF!"
Bright shouted as he charged forward with the roar of a charging soldier.
  "JAAAAAAAAAAAACK BRIIIIIIIIGHT!"
Before Bright could get close enough the speakers shouted an emergency warning!
  "ATTENTION! AIRCARFT HAVE BEEN PICKED UP ON LONG DISTANCE RADAR FROM THE NORTHWEST!" A female voice called out as Jack stopped in his tracks, looking toward the northwest.
  Fifteen shapes flew closer, and closer as Site 19 fired surface to air missiles at the objects! Clef watched swearing that the objects had wings. As his three eyes squinted Clef watched as the missiles suddenly... explode like expensive fireworks in the air! Clef could feel the resounding boom echoing through his bones as smoke filled the air.
  Something rained down from the objects like hail, bouncing off the ground. The flying objects suddenly changed course in the air as they landed on the ground, using large insect legs. As they approached the legs folded into wheels as Clef finally realized what he was looking at. Instances of heavily modified SCP-2086 all in the form of white buses. On their hoods the emblem of the Ragnarök Runners sat proudly. The windows on the bus were all tinted.
  "What the hell did you do?" Clef asked with malice.
  "I turned a threat into an asset," the Mad One explained, "However, this wasn't their original purpose. I hope you enjoy my surprise. By the way, do you know POI-6897? He was very, very happy to help me."
  The doors of the busses opened as... Alto Clef stepped off the buses again and again! Each one wore heavy body armor carrying various nerf guns.
  "I would make a seeing double joke, but I think I would have to multiply it." Bright said as the Clef's all lined up.
  "What the hell are you all waiting for?! FIRE!" Clef shouted as suddenly one of the MTF was hit in the helmet by a nerf bullet, changing the tactical helmet into a bicycle helmet.
  "HOLD THAT ORDER!" The Mad One shouted so loudly Clef's ears rang.
The mad one made sure he wasn't going to be interrupted before speaking once more.
  "I haven't finished monologuing. So rude," The Mad One cleared his throat. "On principle, since you ruined my plans all those years ago, I figured using SCP-2000 to make an expendable version of yourself to tear the Foundation down felt symbolic. Each one is armed with weapons made by POI-6897. He was so thankful, and happy to get payback on you all for turning his joke into a threat."
  "Being surrounded by an infinite number of Clef's that I can do whatever I want to without getting in trouble is like a dream come true!" Bright said with glee.
However, that glee was cut short as a nerf dart struck Bright in the forehead. Bright dropped the chainsaw as he transformed into an orangutang.
  "OOO!" Ape Bright shouted seemingly angry as the Mad One teleported to the top of one of the SCP-2086 instances as it unfurled its legs.
"With that, let's fight!" The Mad One declared as Clef used one of the MTF as a meat shield as the darts began to fly!
  Lead and foam bullets flew back as armor, people and weapons were downgraded one after the next! Clef ran toward the entrance of Site 19 to take cover. MTF retreated with him as SCP-2086 instances went to breach the hanger doors on the airfield! Clef watched as trained soldiers who had seen hell in more forms than there were barbie dolls were reduced to primates. Clef made the decision to close the door on the last few retreating for cover.
  "DAMN IT!" Clef slammed his hand on the door.
No sooner had he slammed the door did sparks began to fly from it! They were cutting in, and didn't have much time.
  "Everyone! Evacuate to the lowest level of the facility... Athena contingency."
MTF raced away hearing that order, more than one hundred men moved into the guts of the base moving to destroy anything information or computers that could be used against the Foundation. Clef knew the battle was lost. The war however, had just begun.
  Clef stood in front of the closed doors as he cracked his neck. The buzz had left him, his heart pumped adrenaline to every piece of his body. Every second Clef could buy was a second it would buy the MTF just as much time. Clef took cover behind the metal detectors as he took aim with his shotgun. The doors were breached as Clef open fired! He hit two of them in their chest armor sending them stumbling back as two more took their place, firing their inaccurate foam darts as one struck the metal detector, making it a handheld version as Clef reloaded!
  However, as he began to take aim the whir of chainsaw blades roared to life! Ape Bright jumped over one of the clones, holding a small chainsaw in each hand as he decapitated one of the clones! The clones turned and tried to fire, but a Clef clone wielding a normal sized chainsaw cut their heads off one by one! Hanging around the neck of the Clef clone was Bright's amulet.
  Clef took careful aim as he aimed for headshots, taking down the targets again and again as blood and skull fragments began to litter the floor! Ape Bright's chainsaw blades broke as he jumped on a clone, gouging their eyes out with his toes as he grabbed their gun, taking aim and firing at the remaining clones! Once the dust had settled, they were surrounded by monkeys, and corpses.
  "Never in my life have I been glad to see you." Clef said with a smirk.
  "Until now!" Bright said as he revved his chainsaw.
  Clef ignored Bright as he turned around.
  "We need to evacuate as quickly as we can. I already initiated the Athena protocol. Luckily, we already moved the hard copies off site. That just leaves the computers." Clef told Bright as Ape Bright pulled on Clef's pant leg.
  "Oooo!" Ape bright pointed to Clef's head.
  "Yea, you having a fiesta or something?" Bright asked.
Clef took off his hat, which had been turned into a sombrero by one of the darts. Clef stared at his ruined hat as he threw it away.
  "Outside probably isn't an option. Inside isn't either. How do we get out of here without..." Clef looked to Ape Bright who flipped him off, with his hands and feet.
  "We could take the escape pods." Bright suggested.
  "The escape pods? What escape pods?" Clef asked confused.
  "Oh yea, I built escape pods in the lowest level of Site 19 underneath all the most dangerous shit. They claimed it wasn't in the budget so I stole the fundings for some massive orphanage project to house all the SCP-1680 instances supported by the Ethics Committee. I decided escape pods were cooler. I mean, who are those kids going to tell? Their parents?"
  "The Ethics Committee won't be pleased, but then again when have I ever cared?"
  "Oh that over glorified HOA can send their personal fun police as many times as they want I just saved the asses of like, everyone on site." Bright said cockily.
  "Let's just get the fuck out of here." Clef said as Bright began to lead the group toward the elevators.
  Clef quickly called the security room, telling them to divert the MTF toward the lowest floor. Gunfire rang out along with primal screams. Once the three arrived at the elevators, Ape Bright went to hit two buttons, instead of their destination.
  "Now where are you going?" Bright asked Ape Bright.
  "Oooooooh ha!" Ape Bright responded as Bright nodded.
  "May the force be with you brother."
The speakers above them blared to life.
  "Attention, an evacuation point has been decided! All remaining personal are to head to the lower floors within five minutes!"
  Clef knew they wouldn't have much time before the clones made their way to the basement levels. Ape Bright got off on the barracks floor as he raced off at max speed. Once the elevator closed again Bright and Clef stood in silence.
  Ape Bright raced through the empty barracks, the slapping of his feet against the cold tile floors echoing through them. Ape Bright found his way into the armory. The small dwarf that always kept him away had been evacuated a long time ago. Ape Bright meandered through the armory grabbing as many weapons as he could, setting them into a rolling bin along with extra ammo and hand grenades strapped the bandoleers with a propane tank.
  Ape Bright pushed the bin out of the room as he headed for the freight elevator. He pushed the button, waiting patiently as the elevator was called. As the door slowly opened Ape Bright noticed the elevator was filled with clones! Each one looked to him as Ape Bright didn't break eye contact. He snorted, reaching behind him as he hit the door close button. As the door swung closed Ape Bright cracked his neck as the clones took aim!
  Ape Bright ducked behind the bin as he pulled a handgun from the bin jumping up and firing randomly! He struck one clone in the head as he snapped another one's neck! Each nerf bullet fired changed the elevator into a worse, and worse version until it became a dumbwaiter! Everyone was forced out of the small space as Ape Bright clutched the side of the elevator shaft! The clones, along with the weapons vanished down the dark shaft into the black below.
  Ape Bright jumped back to the dumbwaiter holding onto the edge as he rode it all the way to the bottom. The cart of ammo and grenades had fallen over, and the bodies of the clones remained still. The door opened as Ape Bright pushed a body between the doors to prevent them from closing. Ape Bright gathered all the weapons as he wheeled the broken bin out of the elevator down the hall. MTF stormed toward the sound of Dr Clef shouting as Ape Bright followed.
  Soon enough Ape Bright recognized his pet project. A massive tunnel system with train like cars meant to travel at super high speeds away from the site. Alto Clef and Jack Bright were guiding people onto the train cars one by one. Ape Bright pushed through the crowd as he approached the two men.
  "There you are!" Bright said to Ape Bright who waved.
  "Almost all of the MTF who are left are on the escape pods." Clef told Bright.
The next batch of evacuations were loaded. The train car vanishing into a long dark tunnel as the final group began to board.
  "THE CLONES ARE COMING!" One of the MTF shouted as nerf guns could be heard revving in the hallway.
  The MTF shut the door to the room as they scrambled onto the train car! Bright began to board as Clef looked to Ape Bright.
  "What about him?" Clef asked.
  "He has returned to monkey. He no longer fears anything." Bright told Clef as the two boarded the last escape pod.
  It raced off through the tunnels as Ape Bright turned to the door. Ape Bright tipped the cart over backwards as he pulled out a pair of AR-15 wrapping two bandoleers worth of hand grenades around his body. Ape Bright put a bullet in his mouth chewing on the tip as the doors were forced open! Ape Bright laid hate as clones fell over one after the other! He plucked a grenade from a bandoleer with his right foot, balancing on his left as he pulled the pin with his teeth tossing it into the hallway!
  Ape Bright dropped the duel AR-15 as he picked up a grenade launcher, firing it as the bodies in the doorway stacked higher, and higher! Ape Bright just had to buy the escapees enough time to get out of range for what he had planned. Ape Bright's eyes quickly glanced to the propane tank inside the bin, and Ape Bright thanked his ancestors that it hadn't burst during the fall. As the bullets ran dry Ape Bright hurled grenades at the doorway turning bodies into pink mist!
  "ENOUGH!" The voice of the Mad One boomed.
The corpses vanished into thin air. The Mad One stepped into the room.
  "So, Edgar Allen Po's fursona finally makes an appearance!" Ape Bright taunted.
"Because this fight is pointless." The Mad One explained.
  "You speak orangutang?!" Ape Bright asked surprised.
  "Just surrender and you can die peacefully." The Mad One promised.
  "My Ancestors smile upon me you naked flesh bag," Ape Bright taunted. "Can yours say the same?" Ape Bright asked. The Made One held his fingers together like a knife.
  "No......"
Ape Bright suddenly flew toward the Mad One who impaled Ape Bright through the chest with their hand! Ape Bright's eyes grew wider as the warm blood trickled along his fur. The Mad One removed his hand from Ape Bright's chest who fell to the floor with a soft thud.
  "I will though."
  Ape Bright suddenly began to gag as blood pooled from their lips. The Mad One stepped over Ape Bright, who was slowly pushing something up his throat.
  More clones flooded into the room as Ape Bright's throat bulge as something entered his mouth. The Mad One looked to the tunnels, considering giving chase when he heard the distinct sound of a grenade pin being pulled. The Mad One whirled around to see Ape Bright spit a grenade from his mouth, the pin hanging off of Ape Bright's teeth as the grenade rolled toward the toppled over bin, and the propane tank. However, it was full of anything but propane.
  The Foundation had once carried out a termination test with SCP-682, who in turn produced a deadly gas from its body. They had tried to kill the reptile in a room with no oxygen, and when the doors opened an anomalous odorless gas that burned brighter and hotter than magnesium wiped out everyone on site. SCP-682 had been contained, and some of the gas was harvested for study. The gas itself only destroyed flesh, but fire activated it.
  Ape Bright smirked as he stuck out his tongue. The Mad One watched as the grenade exploded setting off the propane tank! A blinding flash enveloped the room as the Mad One barely had time to teleport away! Ape Bright flipped the Mad One off as his skin and hair singed, disintegrating to the bone in the cleansing flames as the rest of his skin and hair vanished! His bones crumbled to atoms as the flames ripped passed him. The flames entered the air vents as they spread throughout the entire bottom floor disintegrating every clone out of their armor!
  The flames covered the entire floor as they traveled through the air vents, igniting more propane tanks on each floor that Bright had hidden the night before the invasion. Like the smiting hand of an angry god the flames tore through each clone, each transformed person in Site 19 in blinding light destroying every living thing inside before the flames exited out of every window and door of the facility! The blinding light of Site 19 could be seen from space for the briefest of moments, only to be snuffed out as quickly as it had started.
  Through the evacuation tunnel Clef could see a flash of light through the darkness in the direction they had come in. Clef sighed as he clung to his ukulele. Every MTF on the pod were in various states of destress, but not panic. Clef had trained them well.
  "That glorious bastard," Bright said envious. "He went out how I wanted to. Naked and in a blaze of glory. Say hello to Harambe."
  The escape pods continued on toward their destination. Leaving Site 19 in the hands of the enemy.