The following days pass normally.. Guards and researchers continue about their official business. Dr. Clef, Sasha, and 999 passes by 953's room. They pause as they hear a muffled sobbing coming from inside.
Dr. Clef turns to Sasha. "Since I am babysitting this slime today.. do you think he could cheer her up?"
Sasha shakes her head. "This is not something 999 would be able to help with. The feeling of sorrow would only return the minute she thought of 106. It is better to let her work it out herself." She replies as she urges Clef on.
Meanwhile, in 343's room, 343, Lucifer, and Rocky sit opposite one another, at a round table.
Lucifer seems particularly agitated as he argues 343 withheld time-sensitive information from him. Rocky argues that Lucifer's motives are equally as suspicious and secretive. 343 argues that Lucifer should not have allowed Sophia to cross her own timeline, as that may have caused the acceleration of the years. They continue to argue until Lucifer pulls the contract from thin air and holds it out to 343 and Rocky.
"Tear this with me!" He demands.
Rocky looks at 343 and then back to Lucifer. "Why should we?"
"So we can form a new contract between the three of us!" Lucifer growls.
Rocky rolls his eyes. "I am really getting tired of this run-around.
"No more secrets, no more complications.. let's end this." Lucifer urges.
"'End' as in..?" 343 asks.
"I mean, let's move to the next dimension.. now." Lucifer replies, waving the contract at them.
Rocky stands with a furious slam of his fist on the table. "You mean to tell me you want to end this quicker?! And what of my time with my family?!! Am I to continue to throw away everything for you two?!!"
"Mr. Hagino, please. It is for the greater good!" 343 comments.
Rocky quickly and effortlessly picks up the table and throws it across the room. "SCREW YOUR GREATER GOOD!! I have a wife and daughter!!"
"I have a daughter too, Mr. Hagino. You do not see me complaining!" Lucifer snaps back.
Rocky quickly advances on Lucifer, grabs him, and picks him up out of his chair. "WHO ARE YOU?!!"
Lucifer looks Rocky in the eyes and smiles. "[REDACTED]."
Before Lucifer can speak, Rocky grabs his head. He groans and falls to his knees as a rush of pain and screaming static fills his head.
Lucifer looks at 343. "Are you doing that?!"
343 quickly gets up and kneels next to Rocky. "No. I don't know what is happening."
Rocky screams as a red aura flashes around him.
Lucifer begins backing away. "He has been chosen."
343 tries to put Rocky to sleep. "I am sorry, Mr. Hagino. I can't stop this, but I can slow it."
Lucifer grabs 343's arm. "Why are you wasting energy on him?! Just let him go berserk so we can move on!"
343 yanks his arm away from Lucifer and continues to put Rocky to sleep. "If he goes berserk now all the others will follow in suit. If that happens, Rocky will mindlessly tear his family and everyone else into bloody gory pieces. Do you want to see your daughter torn apart?!!"
Lucifer crosses his arms. "I..."
"That's right! Tell me how you have watched it happen so many times before!! Tell me how it doesn't bother you anymore!!" 343 interrupts.
"I LEAVE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, [REDACTED]!!!" Lucifer blurts out. "I CAN NOT WATCH [REDACTED] BE KILLED!!!"
As Rocky finally falls asleep, 343 stands. "That is the first time you have called me by name since our accident."
Lucifer turns away. "Don't get used to it.. All I want is to return to my family. To.. just once.. be the father my daughter deserved."
343 pats Lucifer on the back. "We will both succeed." He then looks at Rocky. "But we have to get through this unpleasantness first."
Lucifer turns up his nose. "You should be used to death, seeing as you have literally outlived everyone."
"I really wouldn't have called that living." 343 groans. "I wouldn't have even called that surviving.."
A quick knock echos through the room proceeded by Sophia entering. She sees Rocky on the floor and quickly rushes over.
"What have you done to my daddy?!" She asks excitedly.
343 holds up his hand. "Child, I merely induced a sleeping state. He is.. physically.. okay."
Sophia looks up at 343 questioningly. "What do you mean by that?!"
343 looks away.
Sophia gets up, from a kneeling position, and advances on 343. "DAMN IT! You tell me!"
Lucifer stops her, making contact with her skin. "Easy, girl! Do not touch him!"
343 looks at Lucifer. "Should we tell her?"
Lucifer nods. "If it was my daughter.. I would want her to know." He then turns Sophia to look at him. "Your father has been chosen by the sin of wrath. There was nothing else we could do."
Sophia steps back, covering her mouth with her hand. "No.. not my daddy!" She sobs.
"Calm yourself. We will inform the others. For now.. this is the safest course of action." 343 comments.
Sophia takes a moment to compose herself and then quickly locks eyes with Lucifer. "Who are you?"
Lucifer looks confused by this comment.
343 looks at Sophia for a moment. "Lucifer.. This is not the same Sophia. This child has no memory of you."
"How old are you, Sophia?" Lucifer asks the girl.
"Fifteen." Sophia replies. She then looks at her hand and then touches Lucifer again. "Why.. don't I receive anything when I touch you?"
Lucifer glances at 343. "Because.. I have nothing to give."
343 nods with a smile. He then walks towards the door. "It would seem we have run out of time. If the sin of wrath fully awakens all the other sins will join him and bring about the end."
Lucifer leads Sophia out. "Don't worry. He is safe. I want you to go find your mother. Okay?"
Sophia nods and hurries off.
Lucifer follows 343 as they talk. "Last time I checked, that girl was only three years old! How did we jump twelve years?!"
"I don't know!" 343 replies. "All I know is that his presents must have been missed. But why did no one come to find us sooner?"
As they continue down the hall, Cain walks through an intersecting corridor.
"Cain! What has happened?!" 343 asks.
Cain turns to look at them. "Nothing special. Where have you been? Where is Rocky?"
Lucifer looks at Cain. "Are you sure nothing has happened?"
"Well..." Cain replies, hesitantly.
Years earlier, Jennifer lays in bed staring up at the ceiling. She turns over and runs her hand against the other pillow. "Rocky.. where are you?" She then turns again onto her back as she sheds a single tear and drifts off to sleep.
Her dream begins again, as it had so many times already, with the horrified screams of personnel, gunfire, and the growls and howls of multiple creatures. Unlike before, however, 682 stands before her. His body has fully recovered and his eyes seem to perse her soul.
"Run." 682 growls as he turns away from her. "I will try to hold them off." He then runs down the hall out of sight.
Jennifer turns, bumping into Lucifer. She slowly backs away.
"Time is up." Lucifer says sadly.
Jennifer wakes up suddenly. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!" She screams and then, having realized it was only a dream, she begins sobbing uncontrollably. "I.. I can't do this.. by myself!"
The next morning, Sophia knocks on Jennifer's door. Jennifer opens it and welcomes her in. They sit and begin to talk as the younger Sophia plays on the floor.
"So.. you are my daughter.. from ten years into the future?" Jennifer asks with a confused tone.
"Yes." Sophia replies, glancing at her younger self. "It is so strange looking at myself like this." She smiles slightly and then looks Jennifer in the eyes. "I know you feel lonely right now. I wish I could tell you something, but 343 made it so I can not divulge much detail of the future to anyone."
"Why would he do that?!" Jennifer asks excitedly.
"Everything must happen the way it happens. There is no changing it." Sophia replies.
Jennifer looks down. "And what.. of my dreams?"
"I can not comment on that either." Sophia replies.
"Then why do I die?!" Jennifer asks sadly.
Sophia looks away. "We all die.. Everything dies.. The whole world implodes. That is no secret, 343 has already said as much. Perhaps someone was showing you mercy."
Jennifer looks down. "Do I.. move to the next dimension?"
"I do not know that." Sophia answers.
Back in the present, 343 and Lucifer hurry to Dr. Therman's office. Inside, the old man and Therman sit enjoying tea.
When they enter, the old man sighs and puts his cup down on a nearby table. He then looks up at 343 and Lucifer. "Is it already that time again?"
Both Lucifer and 343 nod silently.
Dr. Therman raises an eyebrow as she looks at the old man. "Director, are you implying you have been jumping dimensions with these two?!"
The old man nods. "How else do you think they get away with whatever they want?"
Dr. Therman groans.
"So who is the host of wrath?" The old man asks.
"Rocky Hagino." Lucifer replies.
"Not 682, 096, even..."
"We saw wrath's aura with our own eyes." 343 interrupts.
The old man pulls a phone from his pocket and dials a number. After a few minutes someone answers. "Begin protocol armageddon."
"Understood." The voice replies before hanging up.
"What is protocol armageddon?" Dr. Therman asks.
"A mass execution of all high ranking members of the SCP Foundation as an act of mercy for the coming apocalypse." The old man replies solemnly.
"That.." She takes a deep breath. "Do they move to the next dimension?"
"We give them all a choice." 343 replies. "Some choose to go to New Edan."
"Oh.." Dr. Therman says as she turns towards the old man and slightly bows. "It has been a pleasure, Director."
The old man pulls a pistol quickly and shoots her in the head. "No. The pleasure was mine."
Lucifer begins towards the door.
"Where are you going?" 343 asks.
"I am going to show some mercy." Lucifer replies before leaving.
The old man begins sipping on his tea again. "I will self terminate once the order is fully carried out. Proceed with your plans."
343 nods sadly. "I hope your death is painless." He then disappears.
The old man groans as he looks over at Therman's dead body. "I probably should have kept you alive so I would have someone to talk to.."