Control is Everything(4)

Author: From starting now, I'm gonna name dozens of chapters in one title due to running out of ideas of naming some, so I will have to do similar to the original author do. Anyone who ask, this will have 20 parts in total, so don't think of the entire arc was just only one title

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In the MTF locker room, Lawrence was wearing his guard uniform as he looked inside his locker that had a picture of him and Molly smiling together and... a small box with a ring in it. Perhaps for someone special? 

"Oh ho!"

Suddenly a teasing voice was heard behind Lawrence, he immediately closed the door of his locker and turned around to see Evan. 

"Jeez kid! Can you stop popping out of nowhere?"

"So... what's with the ring?" Evan ignores his complaints and asks with a smirk.

"Classified."

"Come on, Lawrence. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"If you do, I will end you... personally." 

"Okie dokie!" Evan nodded with a thumbs up.

"...It's for Molly."

"Oh, I see where this is going. You want to propose to her, huh?"

"Y-Yeah." Lawrence said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry man. You're both a match made in heaven." Evan said as he pats Lawrence back.

"Yeah, we've been through a lot of stuff in the foundation over the years and been through some good... and bad times as well."

"Especially you, my friend. Let me list it down for you. You got color blinded by SCP-106, almost got killed by prehistoric ancient beasts that swim around SCP-1836, survived an attack from SCP-966, survived SCP-1562 and dealt with the entity within it and came back alive, dealt with Big Charlie aka SCP-4158 instances with Carson, dealing with SCP-008 zombies, put into a coma by Carlos who was being mind controlled by the Chaos Insurgency, and I could just keep going."

"I get it, Evan. I've been through a lot of stuff especially with the Stands as well. Putting my life at risk, barely getting any sleep and seeing or going through things that can make anyone go insane. You know why I'm not dead yet?" 

"Because of plot armor?"

"What?"

"Is mean is it because of Molly?" 

"Yes."

"Well love is a powerful thing that can keep anyone motivated and alive." Evan said with a heartfelt smile, but in his eyes, it is totally different, filled with depression and loneliness. "So how long have you been keeping that ring?" he asked Lawrence at his normal state, so normal that the depression on him didn't exist.

"Ever since... Gustav stabbed us and tried to blow up the site."

"You've been keeping it for that long?"

"Yeah."

"...Look man, I suggest you do the proposal thing quickly and take a vacation as well." Evan suggested to him, grasping both of his shoulders with a serious look.

"But..."

"He's right."

A sudden voice joined in, the two looked to the left and saw Spy with his back against a locker door holding his knife and spinning it around.

"How long have you been standing there?" Lawrence asked cautiously.

"Long enough to hear you two talking with each other." Spy said, and same as Evan, he suggested to him, "Lawrence, I suggest you do as the boy says. If I heard your stories from Rodeo correctly and what you've been through, you two need to take the next step and secure a future together, and take a lot of time off from the foundation as well. Just look at your face. White pupils, baggy eyes, your hair being a bit of a mess and your skin getting paler, you're literally a walking corpse right now. You've both earned it, mon ami."

Taking back, Lawrence thought about Spy's words and nodded, "...You're right. We both need to take the next step."

"Excellent. Also do the proposal on the rooftop at 11:30 AM. Good luck and may I wish you and Molly a good life." Spy compliments him, he then changes his gaze at the other person present, "And Evan..."

"What?" 

"Go fuck yourself."

"..."

Spy then starts laughing maniacally, giving the finger to Evan as a farewell for him before leaving the room.

"I hate that guy." Evan muttered irritably as he clenched his fist.

"Well at least he didn't try to backstab us for these past two weeks." Lawrence added.

"Yeah." Evan turns in his direction and speaks back normally, "Listen man, I'll be watching from the sidelines while you do the whole proposal."

"And why?"

"Come on, man. Gotta make sure that no second or third party ruins the moment. Have a little faith, Lawrence."

Lawrence sighs, "Fine. Just make sure that you don't mess up the moment instead."

"Got it!" Evan once again gives him a thumbs up and winks at him.

Once they end their conversation, the two leave the room.

——————————————————————— 

Far from Site-17, Emma, the site director of Site-19 was observing through a rectangular window outside a containment chamber the raw argent crystal that was being researched by a group of scientists. 

'I cannot believe the O5 would want this thing intact. It's just a power source from another dimension, and a key to open a damn portal to those monsters' dimension.' Emma thought and questioned herself on why the other members decided to keep an object that could lead an XK-class scenario to maintain.

While she might be an O5 herself, it didn't help the fact that keeping this thing intact and threatening Queen's Requiem not to destroy it was not what she expected. 

'After everything Rodeo did for the foundation in this past month, they decided to threaten him, even his team. Maybe they just see them as assets rather than allies. But hey, the O5 are meant to be cold hearted, what can I even say about it? Assholes. A lot of them.' She thought angrily.

Letting out a sigh, Emma then heard a voice coming from the corridor on the right. She looked to the right and saw SCP-073, also known as "Cain", wearing human clothing and was carrying SCP-191, "The Cyborg Child" on his shoulders. 

[IMAGES]

Behind them, there were also two SCP Guards following them and keeping an eye on them just in case.

"Good morning, Cain." She greeted him.

"Good morning to you as well, Emma." The handsome looking young man greeted her back with his mechanical like voice. He then looked at the window and asked her, "Are they still experimenting with the crystal?" 

"Yes, they are still. They think they will get some research data from this and those creatures that are technically from a video game."

As the two continue to talk to each other, 191, the Cyborg Child looked at the crystal curiously and scanned the energy it was giving, and to her amazement, it was giving off a huge amount. An enormous power large enough to fuel an entire civilization and last for a very long time, maybe a few decades, or even centuries, and it was just a small crystal that was about the size of a baseball.

"And how's 191 been doing with you?" Emma asked Cain as she looked at the amazed 191 in his shoulders.

"She's been very kind and playful towards me, I do feel bad that she had to go through a lot and became a cyborg. It's heartbreaking. I hope she can get her normal life back."

"Cain... things in this world don't become normal that easily." Emma reminded him, "I'm not saying it's not possible, it's just that we are not sure when that will ever happen."

"I know." Cain nodded and realized what she meant. Then, he raised his head and asked, "So I heard my brother and Iris are on site-17?" 

"Yes, they are but don't worry they've taken precautionary measures in case he goes on a rampage."

"I hope so."

Looking at his concerned look, Emma decided to change the subject and requested him, "Follow me, we might have some work to do."

"I would be happy to help." He smiled. 191 nods in his shoulders as they then follow her.

——————————————————————— 

Back on Site-17, located at the gym section, Finn, Nikolai and Krieg, whose bulbs were off as usual, were doing some boxing practice. 

"We've been here for two weeks, you know. No new attack and the enemy Stand factions are still quiet according to what Rodeo and Jeff sayed." Finn said to the two.

"Da, comrade. One can only shudder to imagine what diabolical scheme they may be planning." Nickolai nodded with a serious look.

[The Foundations are trying their best to track them, and since we have the Pillar Men on our radar as well, we can be prepared at least.] Sane Kreig said.

"Aye. Wonder what Jacob and Jeff are doing?" Finn asked, referring to the two.

"Oh them. They are currently working with Dr. Logan and checking one of the captured forces of the hell dimension that we were able to capture in these last two weeks." Nickolai replied as he continued his boxing practice.

Finn let out a scowl look when hearing the name Logan, "Don't like the vibe that guy gives off. It's like he doesn't who lives or dies in testing so long as he gets the results, and is bloody cold hearted and a bigger asshole than old Amelia from what I heard from Rodeo!"

"COLD HAS THE GREAT TUNDRAS!" Psycho Kreig said.

"I'll just think that you are agreeing with me rather than whatever you just said right now."