Fight, Run, or Die(5)

– Site-28, New York City - 10:50 AM –

Krieg was casually strolling through the hallways of site-28 with his buzzsaw-axe on the ready until his gaze caught sight of an open door leading into a room. Intrigued, he stepped inside to find a white canvas adorned with a hand-drawn portrait of a woman... an image that seemed to shift and sway before his eyes.

"The hell?" Kreig felt weirded by it, but he curiously checked the poster on the wall beside the entrance.

[SCP-085, "Hand Drawn Cassie"

Object Class: Safe]

Within SCP-085's containment chamber, Cassie became aware of Krieg's presence, a flicker of surprise crossing her animated features.

With a casual wave, Krieg greeted her, "Uhhhh hi."

In response, Cassie returned his wave, her smile brightening the room.

"You can see me?"

A simple nod from Cassie confirmed his inquiry, accompanied by a reassuring smile.

"Huh, the SCP Foundation can have some weird stuff sometimes, but this is cute." Kreig remarked, his tone a blend of amusement and intrigue.

"Krieg!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Krieg pivoted to see Michelle approaching him.

"What is it?" he inquired.

"Come with me!"

With a farewell wave to Cassie, Krieg followed Michelle's urgent lead.

"What's going on? Are we under attack?" he asked as they hurried along.

Michelle pointed to a nearby window, prompting Krieg to glance outside. His eyes widened in disbelief as he beheld the cityscape transforming before him, structures morphing, merging, and shifting into an entirely new and alien landscape.

"Oh boy, so site-28 changed as well?" Krieg remarked with a mix of concern and fascination.

"Luckily no, by some sheer luck," Michelle replied, her relief palpable.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Rodeo, Evan, and Robert, their footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"Your back!" Michelle greeted them.

"Yeah. We got problems though," Rodeo announced grimly.

"What sort of problems?" Sane Krieg inquired, his attention fully focused on their comrades' explanation. Michelle mirrored his concern, and couldn't hold her surprise.

"What?!" she exclaimed as Rodeo divulged the troubling details.

"Yes, they took Cameron, and I can understand the reasons, but he was the only overpowered SCP we had to gain some advantage against the enemy. Mr. Black hole threw Alcina's daughters to who knows where, and they have Dark Aether crystals which can counter Evan's time abilities to an extent," Rodeo explained, sounding frustrated, "We have only face two guys from another universe, yet they completely stomped Cameron and Evan like nothing! We have made zero PROGRESS!!" he concluded with a burst of anger.

"Rodeo, calm down." Michelle said to him worriedly.

"Calm down? Calm down?! We are not winning to any degree yet! More people are lying on the streets lifeless, have turned into zombies or been taken by the Reich, and all of our forces are getting slaughtered! What is there to calm down about?! When-" Rodeo's tirade halted abruptly as his expression shifted upon hearing something. "You hear something?"

*Beep*

"Huh, you're right. It's beeping," Evan observed.

*Beep*

"It's coming from you, Evan," Robert pointed out.

Evan quickly checked himself and his armor, eventually finding something attached to his left boot.

...A tracker.

The room fell silent, expressions ranging from confusion to disbelief.

Michelle, Sane Krieg, Robert: ._.

Rodeo: ...

Evan: ಠ_ಠ Well ain't that a bi-

—BOOM!

The wall to their right exploded, sending everyone flying and crashing into another wall.

"Great," Rodeo remarked with a cough, his voice laden with sarcasm.

Moments later, the SCP captain of Pi-51, accompanied by Sergeant Ramirez, Gordon, and a few of his men, arrived at the scene, their eyes immediately drawn to the gaping hole in the wall.

"We're under attack!"

"You think we didn't notice?!?" Michelle shouted as she struggled to her feet.

"Sergeant Ramirez! Position our men on every door, window and the rooftop as well!" The captain of City Slicker issued orders swiftly, prompting the sergeant to nod in acknowledgment before springing into action.

Rodeo and the rest hastily peered through the hole in the wall made by the explosion, revealing the ominous sight of two Reich AAV tanks and forty Reich soldiers positioned a hundred meters away from them.

"FEUR!"

The roar of gunfire erupted as the Reich soldiers unleashed a barrage from their assault rifles and the tank's front-mounted machine gun, raining death upon Site-28. Rodeo and his companions scrambled for cover behind whatever objects they could find, but those who weren't quick enough fell prey to the enemy's onslaught, their bodies crumpling to the ground in a grim display of casualties.

"Sergeant Ramirez! Do we have any javelin rockets left?!" The Pi-1 captain shouted urgently.

Sergeant Ramirez shook his head, "No sir!"

"Goddamn it!"

Evan interjected, determination in his voice. "I got this! Za Warudo!"

In an instant, the world turned monochrome, and time froze around Evan, who drew his knives and cautiously emerged from cover to peer out the window.

"Now to-"

"Shoot him!"

Evan's heart skipped a beat as he witnessed the Reich soldier pointing directly at him, followed by the rest of the enemy troops swiveling their attention in his direction, weapons raised.

"NANIIII?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, realizing he had become the target of their deadly aim.

One of the tanks fired a shell at Evan, leaped away from the window just in time, narrowly avoiding the explosion that tore a gaping hole through the structure. Evan emerged unscathed but stunned by the revelation that even both of the soldiers and the tank possessed dark aether crystals to keep themselves moving within the world of stop time.

"Damn it! Time is moving once again!" Evan exclaimed as he scrambled to safety.

With a sudden lurch, time resumed its normal flow, prompting Evan to sprint over to Rodeo and take cover beside him.

"What happened?!" Rodeo demanded, his voice filled with urgency.

"Even their troops are using dark aether to keep themselves unharmed from time abilities!" Evan explained breathlessly.

"You kidding!?"

Surveying the chaos around them, Krieg spotted the lifeless body of Gordon on the floor, his hand clutching an M79 grenade launcher. With an idea in mind, Krieg knelt beside Ramirez, offering a silent prayer for the fallen soldier before reaching into a pouch filled with small yellow bulbs containing the flesh-eating virus of the Stand he had become.

A plan began to form in Krieg's mind as he retrieved the grenade launcher, his fingers closing around the deadly payload.

For the past few months, he diligently collects everything they regrow back on his fists and reserves them for... certain demanding situations. This is one of those.

"LET THE GRAY ASHES MELT LIKE A CANDLE!" Psycho Krieg bellowed, his voice thundered through the chaos as he stepped out of cover with his eyes ablaze with determination. Peering out of the window, he launched the deadly bulbs using the M79 launcher, each projectile finding its mark with chilling precision. Nine enemy soldiers were struck dead center on their faces, the flesh-eating virus melting them to grotesque paste as agonized screams filled the air.

"!"

With the enemy distracted by the horrifying spectacle, Rodeo seized the opportunity. He summoned the tank variant of Sheer Heart Attack, clutching it like a baseball before hurling it at one of the AAV tanks with all his strength.

"KOCCHI WO MIRO!"

As Sheer Heart Attack made contact with the tank, a deafening explosion engulfed the battlefield, obliterating the tank and claiming the lives of five nearby Reich soldiers in a fiery blast of destruction.

The surrounding Reich soldiers spun around, their fear palpable as they aimed their guns at the destroyed tank, only to be met with the menacing figure of Sheer Heart Attack emerging from the flames, its presence striking terror into their hearts.

"Kocchi Wo miro."

In a panic, the remaining Reich soldiers opened fire on Sheer Heart Attack, but their bullets proved futile against the relentless Stand. With chilling efficiency, Rodeo's pet of destruction systematically obliterated them one by one until they were all completely wiped out, not a single enemy remained standing.

After massacring the enemy forces, Rodeo decided to recall Sheer Heart Attack back in case it also focused on his allies.

"Finally."

"Not bad, but they will send a search party to look for them," remarked the Pi-1 Captain grimly. "So site-28 is compromised at the moment."

"Yeah," Rodeo replied, his gaze drifting skyward as he noticed something unusual on the horizon. "The heck?"

Moments later, everyone in Site-28 was drawn to the windows, their eyes widening in alarm as they beheld multiple jet planes flying in a menacing triangular formation.

These were the Reich's ME262 Schwalbe Fighter/Bomber jet planes.

[IMAGES]

They had arrived to execute a precision bombing mission over the city, as the Horten Ho 229 jets were preoccupied engaging foundation fighter jets, rendering them unavailable for the crucial task of ensuring a flawless bombing run.

"Oh no," Rodeo muttered, his expression grave as he surveyed the imminent danger. Turning to the rest, he issued urgent orders, his voice tinged with concern. "Everyone evacuate Site-28 and get every SCP item out of here! We're about to be hit by a bombing run!"

In a frenzy of activity, everyone sprang into action, working feverishly to relocate every SCP item within the site under Rodeo and his team's guidance.

"I'll fly at them!" Evan declared, determination flashing in his eyes.

Rodeo halted him in his tracks. "And what if they have Dark Aether crystals on them? Then what?"

"But-"

"We need to ensure the safety of everyone in the building from harm's way first! You won't be able to stop them in time given that the city's anti-aircraft defenses are still active and the possibility of them possessing Dark Aether crystals!"

Grudgingly, Evan acquiesced, inwardly cursing his inability to stop this as he decided to join the effort to evacuate the SCP items.

"Also, where's the tracker that was on you?" Rodeo asked.

"I dropped it in a panic when we got attacked. No clue where it is."

"Forget it! We don't have time!" Rodeo declared, urgency driving every action as they raced against the impending threat.

—————————————————————

Amidst the aerial expanse, a Foundation Osprey soared above, its sleek form nearly escaping the urban sprawl below. Within its confines, members of Mobile Task Force "Nine-Tailed Fox" stood vigil alongside the injured Cameron, who had been tended to by an onboard medic. As they peered through the window's transparent barrier, their eyes beheld the ominous silhouette of ME262s closing in on the city below.

"They're gonna bomb the city," one elite soldier remarked grimly. "Pilot, warn our jets and ground forces about the MEs!"

"I can't! Something is jamming the radio! We won't be able to warn them in time!" the pilot responded, frustration evident in his voice.

The soldier groaned in frustration, realizing the dire situation. Cameron, meanwhile, concentrates and uses his remaining anomalous powers, lifting every piece of debris and metal wreckage from the city before hurling them at the oncoming fleet of ME262s. The projectiles struck with precision, taking out half of the enemy aircraft, while the rest split up and took evasive maneuvers.

The chaos ended when Cameron's wounds reopened from the strain of using his powers. He coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious onto the floor.

"Medic!"

An MTF medic rushed to Cameron's side, attending to his injuries, while the rest of the MTF soldiers watched as dozens of fighter jets belonging to the Global Occult Coalition arrived, engaging the remaining ME262s and Horten Ho jets in a fierce aerial battle.

The captain of Epsilon-11 couldn't help but smile with relief as it became evident that the bombing run was a complete failure for the Reich.

"That might do it."

—————————————————————

Back in Site-28, Rodeo peered out the window once more, relief washing over him as he witnessed the destruction of half the ME262s and the other half were currently being engaged by fighter jets bearing the insignia of the Global Occult Coalition.

"...Seems like fate is still on our side," he mused as a glimmer of hope rekindled in his heart.

But his optimism was short-lived as a sudden command pierced the air.

"FIRE!"

Reacting swiftly, Rodeo dove for cover just as a plasma laser shot obliterated a section of the wall beside the window he had been observing.

"I stand corrected," he muttered grimly.

Returning his gaze outside, Rodeo's heart sank as he spotted Fu's henchman, Mr. Black Hole, accompanied by fifteen Wolfenstein Reich Heavy Robots, their formidable presence posing a daunting threat to Site-28 and its defenders.

[IMAGES]

"Fuck. That. Building. Up!"

With the command ringing out, the Heavy Robots unleashed a hail of plasma lasers from their arm-cannons in an attempt to tear Site-28 down, shaking the building violently as it came under siege. In a panic, Rodeo and the rest make a run for the ground floor exit, which leads to the underground railway tunnel network of the city. Unfortunately for Rodeo, he was on the third floor and was racing desperately for the stairs.

As he reached another floor, he found a nearby door which he swung open and was met with Michelle in a room filled with computers.

"What are you doing?!" Rodeo shouted over the cacophony of destruction.

"One of the scientists instructed me to download the data from these computer servers onto a USB so the enemy can't access it because it has Foundation stuff on it! Just give me a few more minutes. It's at 88%," Michelle replied, her voice strained with urgency.

"And the others?!" Rodeo pressed, his heart pounding with anxiety.

"They went ahead." Michelle informed him, her focus unwavering as she continued her task amid the chaos.

Suddenly, Rodeo and Michelle were nearly thrown to the floor as the building shook violently under the relentless barrage of fire from the Reich's heavy robots.

"This building isn't going to hold much longer!" Rodeo shouted over the deafening roar.

"Come on. Come on," Michelle urged, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she neared the completion of the download.

Finally, the progress bar reached 100%, and Michelle swiftly removed the USB containing the vital data that was perfectly transferred.

"I got it!"

With no time to spare, Rodeo and Michelle dashed for the stairs since the elevator was a slow and unsafe option. They flung open the door leading to the stairwell and raced downward, the building quaking with each step as the firing barrage continued.

Once the two neared the ground floor, a deafening explosion rocked the wall to their left at point blank on their faces, sending sharp rebar and brick flying toward them. Despite the chaos, they managed to maintain their footing, though, until they were struck by rebar and bricks, causing them to lose their footing and fall down the remaining steps before finally reaching the ground floor either way.

"AHHHHH!!" Rodeo's agonized scream pierced the chaos as he struggled to remove the rebar that had pierced through the chest area of his armor, "That hurt like hell!"

His attention quickly turned to Michelle, who lay on the floor clutching her legs in agony and soon noticed two sharp rebars protruding through her shattered armor.

"MICHELLE!"

"The rebar hit my leg bones! They're broken! I can't move my legs at all!" she cried out in distress.

Then to Michelle's surprise, Rodeo carried her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style as he kicked the door in front of them and sprinted down the corridor that led to the exit door. Laser shots and explosions came bursting through the walls and the tiled ceiling began falling apart, threatening to engulf them whole while Michelle hugged Rodeo tightly and held on.

"Almost there!" Rodeo shouted over the din, determination driving him forward as he neared the door.

With a powerful shoulder bash, Rodeo burst through the exit door open, revealing a flight of stairs leading downward. But before they could descend, an explosion erupted behind them, sending them flying through the air and rolling down the stairs until they crashed into the ground below with a bone-jarring impact.

"@_@ Ow."

While Michelle was nearly knocked out, Rodeo stood up with Michelle still in his arms. In the midst of the chaos, he noticed Robert rushing past him and sealed the door behind, restructuring them with his power to ensure that no one would follow them.

Looking around, Rodeo learns they found themselves in a cellar that had four generators, two of them being back up ones. The MTF soldiers, the site-28 researchers, guards and scientists were also present along with Rodeo's team members.

"All done," Robert announced proudly, confirming the door was securely sealed.

"Medic~!" Michelle whined, reaching out to Robert for assistance.

"Coming! Coming! Sheesh." Robert grumbled as he moved to tend to Michelle's injuries.

Setting Michelle down gently, Rodeo watched as Robert skillfully healed her wounds and tended to their injuries, as well as repairing their armor.

"Phew. I can move now," Michelle sighed in relief as she gingerly got to her feet.

"It's good to see you both alive," the MTF captain of Tau-51 approached them with a smile. "We were about to leave without you."

Rodeo shrugged, "Well we're here, let's move out."

"Follow the scientists, they'll lead us through the underground tunnel network," the Tau-51 captain instructed.

As one of the SCP guards opened the door leading to the tunnel network, everyone began to make their way out, putting as much distance between themselves and Site-28 as possible.

Glancing at Rodeo, Michelle spoke up, gratitude evident in her voice. "Thanks for the save, Rodeo."

"Don't mention it," he replied dismissively.

"Not happy with getting attacked twice?" Michelle probed gently.

"Yeah, that, and... worried about you and the rest getting killed," Rodeo admitted, his gaze dropping as he clenched his fist. "Michelle, why can't the team understand? I brought war to this universe, yet they don't seem to think I'm at fault, even though it's obvious."

After a moment of hesitation, Michelle replied, "Because you knew the Forsaken wouldn't be bold enough to attack the SCP universe, given how the anomalies work here. Shifting one of them would be a death sentence, but he did it anyway. He made a bold move."

"Indeed he did, all because I wanted to stop him from taking the Resident Evil universe," Rodeo muttered with a hint of regret.

"Hey! We've played Call of Duty zombies and read the lore and we know full well how dangerous the Dark Aether is. You did the right thing," Michelle reassured him.

"...Yeah, and made a new enemy out of him," Rodeo acknowledged grimly.

Michelle stopped Rodeo from walking any further and looked him in the eye. "Listen, Rodeo. You beat him twice with Alucard and the Resident Evil 8 villains. You can beat him for a third time with us, this time backing you up."

"I know, this entire fight is much crazier and bizarre than what we've been doing up until now," Rodeo admitted.

Michelle smiled and lightly punched his shoulder. "True, but... we'll make it. We did it before in Vegas. We can do this again."

Taking a deep breath, Rodeo sighed. "You might be right."

"If you two lovebirds are done chatting, keep up!" Evan's voice echoed from the distance.

"We know," Rodeo and Michelle chorused, hastening to catch up with the rest of the group.

"I hope Amelia and Molly are alright though," Rodeo voiced his concern.

"I'm pretty sure they're alright," Michelle reassured him with a nod.

—————————————————————

Watching as the entire building of Site-28 crumbled slowly before eventually collapsing into a million pieces under the constant firing barrage from the Heavy Robots, Mr. Black Hole remarked with a sense of finality.

"Welp, that's that I guess."

Mr. Black hole, along with the Heavy Robots soon surveyed the rubble to see if there were any survivors but they only found a few bodies who were shot down in the first attack by the AAV tank and Reich soldiers.

"The cat ain't here. Damn, they must have bailed out," Mr Black Hole sighed, "Fu ain't gonna like this."

Though he possessed the ability to teleport directly into the building using his portals, he wanted some enjoyment in seeing the bots demolish the building and the ones in it for his amusement. So whoops from his side I guess.

As he scoured the wreckage, Mr. Black Hole spotted the tracker amidst the debris. "Yup, the time guy Fu mentioned was definitely here. Best head back for now."

With a flicker of his portal, Mr. Black Hole and the fifteen Heavy Robots vanished, leaving behind the shattered remnants of Site-28.