When Preconception Breaks

Kinetohazards are similar to Cognitohazards. Only, the medium used is the literal gestures and movements made by one's body or arms. These things can do more than just affect the mind but instead affect reality as well, in a way similar to some magic systems in fiction.

From what I could understand, Kinetohazards are only limited by the number of gestures you can perform and maybe the mental integrity of the wielder. I'm not too sure about that latter requirement since Kinetohazards wasn't really expanded upon in the SCPverse.

With 36 hands and 12 arms, each of these giants are rapid-firing glyphs that block the streams of plasma that I am sending forth. Every second, a combined total of hundreds of these glyphs are manifesting into reality to nullify my attacks like they were an illusion before burning away like a piece of paper thrown into a blazing inferno.

I was gobsmacked at the scene. The sheer incredulous scene in front of me.

The usually easy-to-deal-with masses of molten meat were now practically immune to my plasma thanks to the glyphs manifested from their movements. I was unprepared. Only a bit over a week has passed and Ion has already figured out a way around one of my main methods of attack.

Is this how it feels like to fight against a rapidly adapting superhuman AI?

Instead of any plasma, I decided to go with Divine Authorities. Using We Are The Winged Serpent to grant me Tohil's Authority over the flames and Quetzalcoatl's power over the wind, I combined the two to conjure up a spinning ring of fire.

The fire of Tohil, moved by the wind of Quetzalcoatl. Normally, Tohil's flames cannot be used in such a manner since fire doesn't normally move that fast, but just like how wind can carry forest fires at speeds faster than a horse, I forced those fires into shapes through the wind.

Like buzzsaws, it spun around and round, a sharp ring of fire moving so fast it appeared almost solid.

Drawing my hand back, I threw the ring of divine fire at the things. The giant things that are as tall as two humans standing on top of each other.

Hundreds of glyphs appeared in the space between the ring of fire and the group of coherent flesh monsters instantly, so dense that it was akin to a wall comprised solely of glyphs. Their fingers were blurring and coming apart with how fast they were moving them.

The sound the spinning ring of fire made when it crashed into that wall of glyphs made me cringe.

It was horrible.

Given how the security guards all covered their ears and recoiled in pain, it must've been far worse for mortal minds.

Nonetheless, the buzzsaw cuts into the glyphs without any issue, meeting the same resistance as a katana might when it cuts into smoke.

It moved right through one of the 12-legged humans, parting it right down the middle before I forced it to go up into space to avoid slicing through the earth and maybe damaging the Foundation facility.

The place where the ring of divine fire passed through was burning. The fire of Tohil consumed the rest of the fused fleshy thing even as it tried to continue to conjure up more kinetohazard glyphs before fingers were burned away.

Looks like Divine Authority is more effective. Troublesome, since it means I only have about three minutes before the cramps come and I'm forced to use physical force.

Could these kinetohazards nullify physical force? That's a terrifying thought. Not for me no, but these things would be far more dangerous for humans.

I dispelled that ring of fire that was now kilometers into the air. Then, raising my two arms, half a dozen more rings of fire created from both Tohil and Quetzalcoatl's Authority materialized into existence simply because of my will. One ring for each one of these 12-armed, 36-hand things.

Such was Divine Authorities: the creation of effects without any cause.

Like a bird flapping its wings, I swung my hands down and gestured at the humanoid things.

Those six rings of fire fell. It slices through the air with speeds just under that of sound. Like hounds of hell, they ran to pursue the prey I assigned to them.

Those headless corrupted flesh of Ion learned, and so instead of trying to defend, they opted to dodge.

One moved all of its hands to conjure up a glyph that warps space in such a way that it becomes confusing to look at, teleporting that thing kilometers away.

The ring gave chase.

One of these things conjured up multiple glyphs on itself. Then, it broke the sound barrier as it ran away.

The ring gave chase.

One moved half of its hands and phased through the ground like it was air.

The ring sliced into the earth to give chase.

One continuously moved its hands in a random pattern and summoned forth dozens of glyphs that gave it the ability to fly through the air.

The ring sliced it in two without any problem.

One moved all of its 36 hands and placed a glyph on the body of all the humans nearby. Then, it teleported those guards and attached them to its molten flesh, forming a living suit of armor.

The ring turned into a single strand of fire that pierced right through the monster. Fire erupted from the hole. As though it was intelligent, the fire left those guards alone as they scrambled to get away from the burning mass.

The last one didn't move and accepted its fate. It was severed from its legs.

"Goddess…" It called out to me as fire consumed it. The thing talked by forcing its chest split open, revealing a toothy mouth, "Goddess join us. Join me in holy matrimony. There will be only peace—"

I sent forth a stream of fire from Tohil's Authority, silencing the puppet of Ion.

Before I could breathe out a sigh of relief at the dead kinetohazards, the air snapped as a figure appeared on the tarmac with a cloud of smoke surrounding them.

*Poof*

"Oh no you all don't! Prepare to fight the witch who will save all of Humanity, the Zvezdnyy—" Zvezdnyy stopped herself as she froze in the middle of a dramatic pose, her head turning to look at the devastation I brought.

"Huh…" Her arms which were high in the air like a magician trying to rile up an audience dropped as she realized the threat was neutralized.

The only reason I wasn't blowing up on Zvezdnyy was because I noticed how her witch's hat was intentionally much larger. It was almost comically large, especially when it was on the head of a child no older than ten. Personally, I thought it more resembled an umbrella than a hat.

"Zvezdnyy! You shouldn't be out here!" I said as I dropped down next to her.

Instantly Zvezdnyy looked confused, "But why, my Polkovodets? Am I not the Witch who will save all of Humanity? Should I not get any practice?"

"No— it's just— not now, alright?" I had to lean forward by a large degree since the large hat of the girl was stopping me from getting close to her.

"Why not?"

"I had that in the bag."

"I know but why can't I fight with you?"

"Because you just— can't."

"Why?"

"Because it's too dangerous."

"Danger? Pfft!" Zvezdnyy started to laugh, "My Polkovodets, you should know that I, the Zvezdnyy Rebenok, care not for danger! I eat danger for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"

My lips thinned. Zvezdnyy probably doesn't see the danger that's everywhere since she's never bled. She was never in danger because of her power. Well, maybe she'll only be wary of her Arka Nemezida, but given how Gilgamesh is dead, she doesn't have anything left to fear.

"Yes, but you are not invincible. The sun corrupted your uncle remember? You could easily be affected if you're caught in the light. You're not like me, immune."

At this point, Zvezdnyy tapped her giant hat. With an unusually solemn look, she said "I know, that's why I made sure this hat covers me fully."

"You do realize that an enemy can easily just flip you over, yes?"

"Ha!" Zvezdnyy took on a dramatic pose and covered one of her eyes with her hand, "Like I would allow that to happen! I could just wish them away!"

"..."

Wait, that's right, Zvezdnyy can wish Earth to appear in another part of the universe away from this sun's rays.

Moreover, she could just wish away these collections of fused human flesh.

"Could you… wish everything to return to how it once was?"

"Heeeh? You would ask the Zvezdnyy to do such a thing that's beneath her?"

"Please? Could you please do it for your Polkovodets?"

"Uh," Zvezdnyy looked unsure of herself. She scratched her chin with a finger before pointing at me, "Fine! Just this once, my Polkovodets!"

Raising a hand, "I wish this place returned to how it was 30 minutes ago."

Then, Zvezdnyy snapped the fingers of her raised hand—

*Snap*

It was like someone had taken a video of the place and then suddenly moved the Current Time Indicator to a previous section. The damages were gone. The wall where those humanoids had breached was now standing instead of in pieces.

"Huh—"

Several pieces of armor clattered to the ground as Zvezdnyy cried out in horror.

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!"

Zvezdnyy stepped back as though she had seen something horrifying.

My attention snapped back to the girl, "What? What? What?"

"I… I can't bring them back… I can't bring them back!"

Does she mean she can't bring back those who are corrupted by the sun?

"What… do you mean?"

"The people! Humans! Those whom I sworn to protect! They're claimed by the sun! I thought I could bring them back but I can't! I can't bring them back! I can't bring them back! I can't bring them back at all!"

Despite my passivity, I could tell how this was seriously stressful for the little girl.

As I quickly gave an all-encompassing hug for the girl, I recognized how something I may see as 'normal' is entirely 'abnormal' for Zvezdnyy.

"Hey, hey, it's alright! It's alright! I couldn't save them either!" I softly said.

"No! I'm supposed to save all of humanity! Just like how I saved all those people inside that white room with white beds, I am the Witch who will save all of Humanity!"

Zvezdnyy visited the on-site medical center? To turn those 'disabled' back into humans? My eyes softened. She really was trying to live up to her title of 'Witch who saves humanity'.

"Why…? Why can't I save them? Why can't I turn them back into being human?"

I felt wetness sprout from the place where Zvezdnyy smushed her face.

"We're limited." I said slowly, "We're not omnipotent. We're not… all-powerful. We are all defined by our limits."

I and Zvezdnyy stayed like that for a bit before the security guards came to clean up the scene. The piles of ashes that used to be corrupted human flesh were swept up into trash cans.

We returned to the underground. There, I continued to keep Zvezdnyy company for a while, reading her children's tales about Hansel and Gredel and Little Red Riding Hood before the girl fell asleep in my arms.

It was 9:42 pm here in local time.

Carrying Zvezdnyy to her room, I found the Foundation gave all the SCPs their own low-security cell so long as they cooperated with staff. Everyone except SCP-953 that is. She was terminated by on-site security guards when the fox lady used their psionic powers to entrance a researcher.

As I entered, I found Zvezdnyy's room to be unlike the others. The girl probably modified it since it looked nothing like the bare-bone white, almost-jail-like cells of the other SCPs. The walls were colored green and blue to depict what's presumably to be a grass field underneath a cloudless sky. The bathroom was inside its own room alongside the shower, toilet, and sink.

Exiting here, I noticed how SCP-105's room was completely empty. Well, she is an adult, so oh well.

The distant heavy footsteps of three security guards alerted me to their positions before they spoke up.

"Goddess Kukulkan, O5-9 wants to see you. As soon as possible."

I wet my dry lips before following the trio.

Entering into the same room as before, I noticed how Bright was already standing up as though he was ready beforehand.

"Heeeey, how's my favorite MTF Commander doing?"

The guy was pleasant and easy-going, completely different from before. He smiles a lot.

"I am well. Thank you for asking."

"Please, take a seat."

I sat down on the same chair as before. Bright did the same. Despite his change in mood, I wondered if there would be any punishments for failing to capture SCP-682.

"So, I noticed the lack of any SCP-682, wanna tell me why?"

"SCP-682 escaped into the garden of Eden."

Bright blankly stared at me. His jovial mood was instantly gone and was replaced by the same seriousness as when I first met him.

"You… do realize SCP-001 isn't available to anyone with a security credential of only Level 3, correct? How did you know?"

"The big fucking angel standing in the middle of a crown of mountains, guarding a single gate to a place I can only describe as paradise." I paused, "I talked to him, you know?"

"You… talked to him?"

Bright was disbelieving of my claim. No, perhaps it's more accurate to say he doesn't want to believe for the sake of not upturning everything he had believed in before.

"Yes. I talked to him. We engaged in a conversation. I tried to ask him why he didn't help and received no proper answer. I tried to ask him how to kill Ion and I received a riddle."

There was a bitter smile on my lips. My eyes narrowed in frustration. Just what could that riddle mean?

"Oh yes," Bright clapped his hands as he stood up, "Of course, a riddle, what's it about?"

"The angel said, 'Amidst the roaring tempest of the greatest son of sun, the jewel of progress will serve as your spear. For when it pierce the heart of the merciful euphoria who sits upon the sun throne, there, humanity will find normality'."

"Cryptic."

"I know. I tried to ask for more but the angel refused to answer."

Walking to a nearby small table, there, Bright pulled out a bottle of brownish alcohol dated from 1939 and poured two glasses of scotch. My nose instantly picked up the smell of caramel and honey emanating from the alcohol.

He then proceeded to hand one glass to me.

I took the glass and stared at the brown alcoholic liquid. It was only now did I realized how this was the first time I'd ever drank something ever since I signed on with the company.

I didn't eat. I didn't drink. I didn't sleep, well maybe slept only once during that encounter with the corrupted SCP-343. I was a perpetual motion machine, only briefly taking mental rests here and there.

I didn't need most things that humans needed. It was… was it good? Was it bad? Would disconnecting myself from human needs make me less 'human'?

Taking a small sip, he continued, "We've made contact with the remnants of the Church of the Broken God. They're willing to meet and discuss at the next opportune moment on their holy site in the middle of the Aegean Sea.

"Where?" Then I decided to take a sip of the liquid as well. The smell of scotch intensified until it peaked as the liquid touched my tongue.

"Bleh."

Tasted disgusting. It burns my tongue as well as though I had just drank chili pepper.

"Not a fan?" I nodded, "We of the Foundation classify their holy site as SCP-2217. I'm going. The journey will be dangerous with those kinetohazard SCP-9401A instances, so I want you to go with me as a personal guard."

"Alright."

Bright continued as he stared into the scotch, "Now, I understand that— wait what?"

"Let's go." I gestured at the door.

Bright blinked as he stared right into my eyes, his face a mask of stillness like his mind was processing what had just happened.

"..."

The man then tipped his glass and finished his scotch in one take.

"Ahhh, alright!" He clapped his hands together once more, "Alright. Get some rest, Goddess Kukulkan. We're leaving about 12 hours from now tomorrow at nine."

I nodded. Just before I left I decided to finish the scotch. Might as well not waste anything, given how expensive it was.

Even if it tasted disgusting.

Bright then said as I placed the empty glass down, "Oh, and by the way, before 11, you should check out SCP-191's room."

Leaving the place, I decided that since I didn't need to sleep I'll follow through and check up on how the healed cyborg girl was doing.

Strolling over to her cell, I took in the stale air that smelled like a mixture of paint and new electronics. This relative silence even for the hearing of my caliber… Having super-hearing meant there was a constant buzz of distant and quiet sounds within my ears. No matter how quiet the place was, I could always pick up the minute sounds of flesh things groaning and moaning outside.

I was able to easily ignore the sounds, otherwise, it would be quite annoying. Maddening even.

This a brief moment of peace and silence, away from the horrors of the sun.

One can almost forget about what happened.

I closed my eyes and fully immersed myself. I tried to void my mind of anything that occurred in the past few hours.

I thought of nothing. Before everything came in seconds later.

It's strange. Despite my deriding of pleasure from fighting as evident during my fight against SCP-343, I was able to find joy in peaceful moments like these.

What a perplexing duality.

It took 15 minutes, but I finally reached SCP-191's cell. The instant I opened I found SCP-191 running across the room to give me a big hug. As her legs wrapped around my waist, I had to hold her to prevent the girl from falling.

SCP-191 was making excited noises from her newly regained vocal box.

"Ku… ku… khan."

The long years of missing her throat have caused SCP-191 to be unable to talk, so the fact that she could somewhat call out my name was very impressive.

"Hey… how's my favorite girl doing?"

"Ku…ku… khan! Kukukhan!"

Saying my name is probably the limit of her vocabulary.

"Kukukhan! Kukukhan! Kukukhan!"

Gently, I dropped SCP-191 back first into her bed. I had to tap on her back several times until she finally got the hint and let go.

From there, SCP-191 picked up a tablet that was on her bed and started tapping away.

Taking a seat on the nearby chair too small for me, I didn't have to wait for long as SCP-191 finished tapping away.

"I am so glad to see you, Kukulkan. Please, visit me more." The tablet said.

I nodded, "And I will, 191."

SCP-191 tapped away at her tablet once more, "You should call me by my real name: Angela."

Angela. "Thank you for telling me your name, Angela."

The girl gave me a bright smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. It was a joy to see Angela is much better now that she no longer has those internal machines anymore. Well… mostly.

Glancing at those few machine parts on her face and inside her brain, I offered to remove it for her. A part of my mind noted how she cut her hair.

"Would you like to be completely machine-free?"

Angela tapped away at her tablet.

"Yes, but only after I learn how to talk."

Huh?

"Why?"

A few seconds of tapping later, "I need to adjust to this new life you've given me. I want to be eased in."

We continued to talk for a bit. I asked Angela how was her life now and she said how the Foundation staff were extra nice to her, how they always gave her sweets should she ask for some, and how she had started to draw using her tablets.

The girl showed me the drawings she made. It was mostly of me.

As I left Angela's room, I couldn't help but feel elevated. It was really worth it.

So then and there, I decided to check up on the other survivors whom I rescued from New York. Even if it was a bit late, I'll just check up on those who're still up.

I found Rick talking with SCP-105 in the commons area. Both had their own milkshake.

Hearing my approach, Rick instantly stood up and walked right over to me. There, he grabbed my hand and bowed profusely, thanking me along the way.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

I stood there, a bit stunned at what was happening. SCP-105 in the meantime had an amused expression on her face as she stared at the scene.

"Thank you for letting me know what happened to my sister."

"Sister?!"

"My name is Iris Thompson, Goddess Kukulkan," SCP-105 said as she took a sip of her milkshake, "I haven't seen my brother in ages ever since the Foundation contained me."

Unlike her brother, Iris didn't seem too bothered.

"I always knew that she couldn't be dead. Thank you, Goddess, for finally reuniting me with her."

Rick then groveled, absolutely destroying my mental image of the man.