New Enemies Appeared, and... New Allies Made?(1)

In the city park of New Orleans, some circus tents and a few smaller tents, along with food stands and mobile trailers of those who work for the circus and live in them, were set up on the park's open grass areas since there was more space there. Many children along with their parents came to see the circus because who wouldn't? It's a terrific site for watching many things like magic shows, performances by trained musicians & professional athletes, and a variety of other circus-related activities

But this is the SCP world, and this circus isn't like any other.

One of the larger circus tents featured a name on a signboard. 

"Herman's Fuller's Circus of the Disquieting."

This was another anomalous group that the foundation has been keeping track of for a long time. From at least forty meters in the distance, out of one of the shadows of the many trees in the park emerged a humanoid with yellow eyes peering at the circus. 

This was Miguel Rodriguez. A human who has become the Stand "Black Sabbath." This was a solo mission given by the foundation to him in order to gather information regarding Herman Fuller's old connections to the anomalous item selling, auctioning, and bidding organization known as... Marshall, Carter, and Dark Ltd., or MC&D Ltd. for short.

(A/n: I did read up on this MC&D Ltd. lore and it's quite interesting actually. ) 

Miguel was wearing his high-tech armor, which had a black gray camouflage pattern on it with the scp foundation and Queen's Requiem logos on his shoulder pads. 

Ever since Rodeo was declared MIA (Missing in Action) in yesterday's mission to Mount Foraker and that he may have gone to another dimension due to SCP-507, it's been alright for the team for now, but worry for Rodeo's safety in whatever dimension he might be in remained within the team, but Spy has been managing to keep the team in order since he was given temporary leadership until Rodeo returns... or could become permanent if he does not return, but the team, especially Michelle and Amelia, remained hopeful, 

"Realmente tenían que enviarme en un día soleado para esta misión/They really had to send me on a sunny day for this mission." Miguel said in an annoyed tone.

Miguel had every right to be annoyed since the sun is literally a huge weakness to the Stand he has become because he can literally be burned down if he sets foot in the sunlight, but he can use the shadows, especially moving them to his advantage in broad daylight scenarios such as the shadows of birds, vehicles, and wandering civilians. 

'All we have to do is jump into the shadow of someone on their way to the circus and we're gold' He thought.

Soon after, he finally got a chance when he saw a seven-year-old child staring at the circus in awe and was pretty close to the area he was in without noticing his presence. Taking advantage of this, he immediately hides beneath the boy's shadow, and the boy soon heads for the circus, unaware that Miguel is hiding within his shadow. 

A few minutes later, the boy arrived at the circus and proceeded to one of the cotton candy making stands that had been set up by the circus. Miguel, who was at the little boy's shadow, swiftly entered the shadow of a bird that flew over the boy's shadow and allowed it to carry him to one of the nearby trailers in the area.

As the bird rested on top of one of the trailers, Miguel moved into the shadow being cast by the trailer just in time for the bird to fly away. Peeking out of the trailer's shadow, Miguel could clearly see what was going on. 

In front of him, he observes a group of clowns of various shapes, looks, and sizes and were weird and scary looking while trying to entertain the children, second was the large circus tent where most of the people and children were heading. There was no doubt to witness the show going on inside and sounds of the calliope playing music, as well as the cotton candy they were eating was black rather than pink, which may perhaps be anomalous in nature. 

'I read about these guys in the Scp articles, they have some bizarre people with great yet bizarre talents, and… Well, if that's enough to attract people despite the fact that they're walking anomalies, they have my respect and using other anomalous means like that cotton candy to keep them from freaking out.' 

However, Miguel was aware that the circus had more dark secrets when it came to recruiting and hiring people with bizarre features and talents, some of which were not in accordance with good recruitment practices.

'However, at the end of the day, there is always an ugly darkness hidden within every group or people, especially this circus.'

Just then, the trailer door opened, and he hid himself in the shadow in order to avoid being seen, and watched a man with an upside-down face exiting the trailer, close the door, and heading for one of the tents, whom Miguel recognized from the SCP articles as Manny. Miguel swiftly sank into the shadow of the trailer and emerge from the shadow of one of the chairs inside the trailer. 

"Ahora vamos a buscar/Now let us search." Miguel stated as he begin his search in Manny's trailer. He proceeded through and searched  the trailer's desk, opening some of the drawers of the desk and found something.

"Well, well, well. Seems like I'm lucky today."

What Miguel found is some transaction paperwork related to items purchased from MC&D Ltd, as well as founding some photos with the years inscribed on them, no doubt meant to indicate when these pictures were taken. He instantly scanned the images and papers with his armor's helmet scanner mode and saved them as data in his helmet, which he would later send to the foundation after he departed this place.

Clink!

All of a sudden, he heard the door opening up, so he hurriedly put everything back in order so that they wouldn't suspect anything had been moved or not. As soon as he was finished, Miguel dashed inside the shadow of  one of the coat hangars in the trailer. 

The door opened and in came Manny, the man with the upside down face, and a woman with pale skin who was wearing ring master garb and had ruby red lips and wore a crimson red top hat on her head and had a very nice and beautiful build to her. 

She was Icky, the current circus director after Herman Fuller, the one originally in charge of the circus, disappeared for unknown reasons and Manny acting as the right hand man for Herman before becoming Icky's the right hand. The two were unaware that Miguel was hiding in the shadow of the coat hanger as he started listening to their conversation.  

"Look Icky, the foundation punks ain't gonna stop once they get every one of us. We lost Stretchy and Motor Mouth to them, and Normus, who was best at clown making and a valuable asset to us, is dead." Manny stated in an angry and worried tone, "In the last couple of years we've been going from state to state and country to country. We need to be more careful these days, otherwise this circus is done!"

"And I get it, Manny, but we can't just end our shows early or run away when they try to show up." Icky responded, "The show must go on, Manny, and I've also noticed you've been more desperate when it comes to recruiting talent around here."

"Because the more we find, the better, no matter what method we use."

"No, you use those methods to recruit them, and believe me, some of them ain't pretty. Even when Herman was around, you still forced people with bizarre talents to join, and back then I didn't say much, but right now I need you to find a more peaceful way of recruiting them so that most of them don't run away or decide to tell the foundation."

Manny responds with a grimace, "Since when have you ever been worried about what I do?" 

"Because sometimes you just care about the profits we need to keep the circus running rather than what we want to give to the people, which is called entertainment."

"Times are changing, Icky, and... I need to use every method to keep this circus running, whether you like it or not, you might have been a regular member back then, and just because you're in charge of the circus now doesn't mean you can tell me what to do!"

"Yes, but I order you right now to get the hell out of my sight!"

"Fuck you!" Manny yelled to Icky as he stormed out of the trailer. 

Watching him as he shuts the door with a loud bang, Icky could only groan, "That man never learns."

Wiping her forehead in exasperation, Icky looked at the mirror and briefly glimpsed her reflection for a moment before staring at the coat hanger next to her.

Suddenly, as she looked closely, she noticed a pair of yellow glowing eyes staring at her through the coat hanger's shadow while glancing in the mirror's reflection. 

"!"

Icky quickly turned around and stared at the coat hanger's shadow and... saw nothing. Looking in the mirror again, but again nothing. 

"Maybe exhaustion from work is getting to my head." Icky thought to herself as she exited the trailer, not noticing that Miguel was hidden within her shadow since he needed to meet someone for his own reasons, which involved... Rodeo. 

As Icky checked up on one of the clowns, Miguel, seeing an opportunity, he left her shadow then went from shadow to shadow at unprecedented speed without being noticed until arriving at a particular tent. 

"What brings you here, Shadow Walker?" 

Standing in front of Miguel was a man levitating in the air, having his eyes closed and wearing a purple cloak. 

This was Zoltan the Amazing. One of the members of Herman Fuller's circus and was famously known for being a fortune teller and a psychic.

"You know what I am?" 

"Indeed, and I know why you're here in my tent. You seek answers about what might be one of your friends' current state, and you know that I am or might be capable of giving the answer, am I right?"

"Si."

Opening his eyes, Zoltan sat back on the ground in front of a small table before placing various cards on the table that are used in fortune telling.

"Pick a card, and I'll give you your answer."

Looking at the cards on the table, Miguel picked one of them up and showed it to Zoltan. Zoltan grabs it, examines it, and closes his eyes. Miguel waited, but he needed to leave fast once he got his answer because if someone enters the tent and spots him, it could create problems for him and the ones enjoying the circus. 

Zoltan, while using his anomalous powers and having his eyes closed, heard a number of voices which belong to different people, possibly indicating or hinting at some future events to happen. 

"Your world will be ours. You cannot stop it." 

"Fetch me their souls!" 

"Is that a robot dog?!" 

"Rip! Use your bullets!" 

"We are being attacked by unknown ground forces and... they have robots!" 

"We will stand together and defend our country and our world from this threat."

"The silo doors are opening! I repeat, the silo doors are opening!"

"Exterminate. All. In. Our. Path." 

"We will crush them with the iron foot of our machines of war! " 

"Do you understaaaaaaaandu!?"

"Super Soldat Incoming!"

"I am the Lord of all that is Golden!"

"You were one step too late for this moment, Doctor." 

"...Death."

"We will send our troops wisely rather than carelessly. Send in the Super Soldats and Drohnes for troop support as well." 

"To the beginning of a new Dynasty!"

Opening his eyes, Zoltan finds himself in a war-torn city, with several soldiers running past him, not noticing his presence since this is the vision of the future he is seeing.

These strange-looking soldiers wore helmets and uniforms that seemed to be not as advanced as modern soldiers wore, but were more on the durable side and were a mix of black and gray in color, while all the other soldiers had either a same or different look to their clothing and helmets, as well as weaponry that should have been in the Second World War, but the weapons appeared to be more modified.

This anomalous power of future-sighting is something Zoltan rarely uses or has ever mentioned to his fellow circus members since he never needed to, but for Miguel, he'll do it because he knows his motivations and perhaps fate might have something in store for his friend.

"Hmm... who are these fellows?"

Just then, Zoltan heard loud stomping noises and turned around to see a walking two-legged machine with two separate arm blasters and was black in color, with a unique W-type symbol on both sides of its metal chest, as well as a red flashing mechanical eye in the center of it. The machine stood at least nine to ten feet tall and seemed to be walking slowly along with the soldiers.

"A robot, huh?"

After scrutinizing the machine, Zoltan gazed ahead and saw something... else. 

It was a human with orange flashing eyes, it seemed to be walking in a zombie-like manner and noticed its body being a bit deteriorated much like one, and he saw more emerging out of a hole on the streets, with them being more muscular and armored variants.

"Dear God, what is this?" Zoltan murmured to himself, his face flushed a bit of fear upon looking at them.

Stepping back, Zoltan was about to move when he saw multiple black jets with a distinct appearance and two red blazing turbines flying above the city. When Zoltan looked back, he noticed one of the orange glowing eye creatures standing a few feet in front of him, staring at his direction as if it could see him.

Soon, the orange-eyed creature let out a roar which he could hear clear as day.

"RAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"Argh!" Zoltan screamed as he snapped back to reality and found himself back in his tent with Miguel still standing in front of him. Once he returned, he began sweating and letting out a few pants, which Miguel found perplexing as he asked.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Zoltan panted, "Unfortunately, I couldn't see him in the vision, but... the trouble he might bring to this world."

"What are you-"

Just as Miguel was about to ask another question, the two heard the noises of footsteps outside the tent growing closer.

"Leave now. You will know when it happens, but this will be our last encounter for now, so you won't be seeing me anytime soon... Shadow Walker."

"I see. Gracias, Zoltan." 

"You're welcome. Now move!"

Immediately, Miguel jumped into a shadow in the tent and left the area, leaving Zoltan with a solemn expression.

"I fear the worst for what may happen next. If this is a plan by fate, then let's hope these people succeed in these future events that are about to unfold."