Adrian's Intervention

Chapter: 36

Adrian sighed, stretching as he rose from his seat. Mary glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're going over there? Why? You have no reason to," she said, her tone curious, crossing her arms.

"Well, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to help those idiots at the Foundation. But a family of one of my employees lives in that area, and their lives are at risk. So, yeah, I'm going," Adrian explained, his tone resigned, eyes narrowing slightly.

Mary frowned, tilting her head. "But you surprise me, Mary. Aren't you a former SCP Foundation researcher?" he added, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Well, yes," Mary admitted, a slight smirk forming on her lips. "But I never signed up for handling anomalies like SCP-106. My focus was more on theoretical research, not fieldwork. That thing is a nightmare."

"Preach to the choir, sister," Adrian replied, shaking his head with a rueful smile.

"Oh right, I forget you used to work with the Chaos Insurgency as a field operative, right?" Mary asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep, me, Camile, and Clef. Speaking of which, I haven't seen him in a while," Adrian said thoughtfully, a nostalgic glint in his eyes.

"Clef? You don't mean Dr. Alto Clef, do you?" Mary asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Dr.? Since when?" Adrian's brows furrowed in confusion, crossing his arms.

"Oh right, you turned off your Omniscience, didn't you? So you wouldn't know. He's a part of the Foundation as a researcher now. Actually, to be specific, he was one of the researchers watching over Sigurrós," Mary explained, her voice steady, watching Adrian carefully.

"You don't say," Adrian muttered, his eyes glowing slightly. "I'll keep that in mind when I see him again. And as for the Omniscience thing, that is a rule of thumb if you're around me. No Omniscience."

Mary smirked. "That's fair. Just be careful out there, okay?" she said, her tone softening.

Adrian nodded. "Always am," he replied, heading towards the door, his posture resolute.

As Adrian stepped outside, the morning air was crisp, a stark contrast to the tension brewing inside. He took a deep breath, summoning his abilities. In an instant, he was gone, the world blurring around him as he sped towards America.

Adrian materialized on a building above the crime scene, observing the situation. He sighed, his expression grim. "Yeah, he's long gone now," he muttered, his eyes scanning the area.

Adrian's eyes became a pale shade of lavender as he looked around. He wasn't looking in a general direction but he could see everything around him in a 360-degree radius. 20km away, Adrian saw a large rust stain appear on a wall. "Found you," he said as his eyes returned to normal.

He teleported over to that direction. As he scanned the area, he noticed the chaos SCP-106 had left behind. The bodies looked aged and decrepit, with some areas around them covered in a black mucus that Adrian immediately recognized. "Cursed old man," Adrian muttered under his breath. He had seen SCP-106's handiwork before, and it was never a pretty sight.

Adrian took a moment to assess the situation further. He observed the crime scene meticulously, ensuring no detail went unnoticed. The news coverage had tried to downplay the severity, but the evidence of SCP-106's escape was undeniable. The aged bodies, the black mucus, the large rust spots—it was all there, plain as day for anyone who knew what to look for. "Why is dealing with these anomalies never fun," Adrian said with a sigh.

*'And it seems like he's not being slow for some reason,'* he thought, his eyes narrowing in thought.

Adrian's senses heightened as he scanned the perimeter for any additional signs of SCP-106's presence. The anomaly was notorious for its unpredictable behavior, and Adrian knew better than to underestimate it.

He walked through the desolate area, the stench of decay thick in the air. "This is worse than I thought," he muttered, shaking his head. His mind raced with strategies to contain SCP-106, but he knew that direct confrontation wasn't always the best approach, especially with something as dangerous and slippery as the "Old Man."

Suddenly, a rusted door creaked open behind him. Adrian turned sharply, his eyes narrowing. A small figure stepped out, a young girl, her face pale with fear. She clutched a tattered doll, her eyes wide and tear-streaked.

"Are you lost?" Adrian asked gently, his tone softening as he approached her, his posture relaxing slightly.

The girl nodded, her lip trembling. "M-my family... they're inside," she whispered, pointing towards a dilapidated building.

Adrian frowned. "Stay close to me. I'll get you to safety," he assured her, placing a protective hand on her shoulder, his expression determined.

As he did, he noticed something on her shoulder—a black spot. *'Ah, I see how it is,'* Adrian thought, clearly not amused, his eyes darkening.

Adrian removed his hand from the child's shoulder and turned around, intending to lead her away.

Chapter 36: End