The bell tolls -173

[SITE-160]

[Oliver Bell]

Dr. Oliver Bell is a Foundation researcher of class 3 stations permanently at Foundation SITE-160 in the cold north of Canada. He is originally from Canada, so he doesn't mind it all that much. Plus, he has never been the type of person to go out much, either.

So, being stuck inside the Foundation SITE all day long didn't bother him all that much—not when said SITE offered everything he could possibly want.

Oliver's path into the Foundation was also an interesting one. He had grown up believing in all kinds of conspiracy theories and in the existence of creatures such as bigfoot.

This was mostly because his parents had been avid believers in such things and had ensured that their only son, too, believed in it all.

They had been really into the idea of a deep state doing all kinds of shady stuff, hiding aliens and much more. Pretty much as long as someone brought up a conspiracy theory, his parents were fully sold on it.

He, however, while believing, also strongly believed in science, something they often dismissed. Another area where they differed was what they wanted to do. His parents wanted the deep state ruined and the secrets shared with the world.

Oliver himself, however, just wanted to know; he didn't care if he had to be part of them; he just wanted to know the truth! This wasn't something he could tell his parents; they would have been horrified.

No, instead, he just took to science; he told his parents that rather than move around with them and try and find proof, he would rather study science and be able to disproof all the fake science out there. They bought it right up and helped him on his wanted path.

Thankfully, Oliver was bright. He excelled in everything he did, topping every class he attended, which allowed him to gain scholarships and continue his path into the world of true science, away from what his parents believed.

Not that Oliver ever stopped believing in many of the theories, particularly those concerning creatures of myth. Then one day, his life changed as he was given an opportunity he couldn't turn down.

He had been called by his parents. They had gotten their hands on some super clear footage, evidence of bigfoot—none of that unclear old stuff, but something clear and modern. They wanted him as a scientist to sign off on it being real before sharing it with the world, even if he was still just a student.

He made the long trip back home, and then it all began. It wasn't his parents who opened the door, but instead, someone who clearly looked like some kind of secret government agent. He was forced into the house, where his parents had been tied up and gagged.

They had indeed gotten some clear footage of Bigfoot, or SCP-1000. And, well, the SCP Foundation wasn't about to let it get spread around. Oliver sat there beside his parents as the agents got ready to fix their memories and change the picture to a clear fake.

Something they did all the time to ensure that while the legend of Bigfoot might not die, people wouldn't believe it much either. It was then that Oliver made his move; he shocked his parents and horrified them when he asked to be recruited.

That had caused a pause in the agents, and he was truly glad his parents were already gagged from screaming and shouting about their rights. Really, it was foolish to talk about rights with people who clearly were beyond such stuff.

After all, their distaste for the so-called deep state was because they were above the law, so he couldn't understand why his parents thought the law would protect him. Still, his plea was heard, and the agents went to contact their superiors.

The Foundation quickly looked through his records, noticing that he was a budding scientist with excellent marks across the board, and they were willing to hear him, at least out. And so he explained himself, his dreams and desires to them.

After that fateful night, he helped his parents, who had forgotten everything, to clear up the picture; he easily showed them that it was just a fake, which greatly disappointed them.

After that, he continued his studies as normal, all while being an intern for the Foundation. He would offer his help to his parents and their circle of friends, and if anyone did get something that looked real, he would contact the Foundation.

As time went on, Oliver's work for the Foundation became more significant. He was eventually stationed at SITE-160, where he thrived. He had access to some of the most advanced research tools and was surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared his passion for uncovering the unknown. Here, Oliver found a sense of purpose and belonging that he had never experienced before.

Though he never quite left behind the habits he picked up during his time as an intern, he was still snooping around, always seeking out secrets. However, he wasn't foolish enough to attempt to look into the Foundation's secrets.

They, too, knew of his habits, and Director Tremblay simply told him not to look into things he didn't have the clearance for and allowed him to look outside the Foundation.

All this made him a real hound for rumors, and he always knew everything that went on at the SITE, something he used to tease people with. He was seen as a bit of a loveable fool, who was easy to talk to and always had something to say.

When the quiet and nervous Bruce Banner, SCP-10104, had joined the SITE, Oliver, who loved to talk and know more about new and interesting people, quickly started to hang out with the brilliant but withdrawn man.

He quickly found the guy likable, and they struck up a strange friendship. Oliver was still the one doing most of the talking, but Bruce was always eager to listen, wanting that human connection with his peers that he had been missing.

Many still failed to treat Bruce as a human being, always mindful of his nature as a SCP object. Oliver however cared a lot for Bruce, and while he too was interested in the Hulk, he was equally so in the man himself.

Oliver often invited Bruce to join him for meals or coffee breaks, filling the silence with his animated stories and relentless curiosity about the world. He sensed that Bruce appreciated the normalcy of their interactions, a stark contrast to the clinical detachment of most Foundation personnel. In turn, Bruce began to open up, sharing bits and pieces of his past and his struggles with the Hulk.

As their friendship grew, Oliver became a confidant for Bruce, someone he could rely on for support and understanding. Oliver's genuine interest in both Bruce and the Hulk led to many late-night discussions about the nature of duality, identity, and the human condition. These conversations were a source of comfort for Bruce, providing him with a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos of his life.

Oliver's enthusiasm for discovery and his unwavering belief in science helped Bruce navigate the complexities of his condition. He offered insights and suggestions that often led to breakthroughs in their research, further deepening their bond. Together, they worked on pushing the boundaries of what was known about the Hulk and his connection to Bruce.

Even tonight, when Bruce was pouring over the data and Oliver was doing his favorite pastime, spying on the spies—mostly those worthy of his attention, which were Shield and Hydra, which were often one and the same thing.

"Hey Bruce," Oliver called out, not looking up from his monitor, "you know, for a guy who turns into a giant green rage monster, you sure do spend a lot of time looking at graphs and charts. Ever think about picking up a hobby? Maybe knitting? I hear it's very therapeutic."

Bruce chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I'll stick to my data, thanks. And last I checked, your hobby of snooping on secret organizations isn't exactly listed under 'relaxing pastimes.'"

Oliver grinned, swiveling his chair to face Bruce. "Hey, someone has to keep an eye on them. Besides, it's way more interesting than knitting. Speaking of which, did you know that Agent Coulson has a secret collection of vintage action figures? I swear, the guy is a walking contradiction."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly did you come by that information?"

Oliver waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, you know, just a little friendly chat between two of his subordinates. You'd be amazed at what people talk about when they think no one is listening. Speaking of which, do any plans on asking Dr. Morris out for coffee? Or are you just going to keep pining away in the lab?"

Bruce blushed slightly, looking down at his notes. "Oliver, You know I'm an object. It's not that simple."

Oliver leaned back, smirking. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But hey, life's short, and you never know when a giant green rage monster might crash the party. Just saying, don't wait too long."

Bruce shook his head. "That's what I'm afraid will happen, you know how much he likes Lena as well."

Oliver couldn't help but snicker. "Yeah, you are your own worst rival as well."

Oliver grinned at Bruce's reaction before giving the poor guy a small break. He kept swiping on his Holopad, changing between the countless security feeds the Foundation had access to. Most were just boring stuff, but suddenly,, he paused.

"What in the world is that?" he asked himself. As he looked closer at the screen, it seemed that a few Hydra agents were fighting something inside their office, some kind of human-looking creature.

Though it was clearly not just a human, no it was no doubt an anomalous object. He didn't recognize what it was, but thankfully, he had the Foundation database at his fingertips.

Oliver quickly wrote a description of what he was seeing into the search bar and hit enter. Expecting to see what SCP it was, he had spotted, or at least the number and a message that he didn't have access to the file.

That's why he was surprised when he wasn't shown that. Instead, it was an alert screen with just a small amount of massive bold text.

[Warning! Search matched to SCP-4885, Keter class object!]

[If you are aware of the location of said Object, immediately activate protocol Zeta-12B14: Blackcurtain]

[Execute protocol?]

Oliver froze upon seeing this, he instantly knew that he had seen something big. Normally, it would allow him access to the full file or just a message that he didn't have high enough clearance, so for it to show something like this meant that it was serious.

And while he didn't know what the protocol was, he instantly pressed the confirm button.

[To know where object 4885 is, means you will die; no Foundation measures can save you; if you are still alive, you are urged to perform self-liquidation to avoid a class 3 death.]

The next message instantly popped up while the alarms all started going off. Red light blinking, and the near-deafening sounds of the many different alarms instantly filled the entire SITE.

Oliver sat with his eyes glued to the screen, that last message making his heart skip a beat. The Foundation liked to classify many things, and that did include even death.

A class 0 death was sleeping in peacefully, a fully painless death, with a class 5 death was one so horrifying that the human mind couldn't possibly even begin to engineer that, and only SCP objects could cause that level of suffering.

A class 3 death was likely a slow, painful death or a quick and extremely painful one, while a bullet to the head was only a class 1 death.

"Oliver! Quickly! We got to evacuate!" Bruce shouted as he noticed his friend was not moving.

The shout woke up Oliver, who steeled his heart at once and ran over to the wall where an emergency gun was stored. "Don't worry about me, Bruce; you need to get out of here now!"

A/N

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