Chapter 216: Fury’s guest -211
[Triskelion]
[With O5-6]
Thomas looked up at the large, rather impressive building that was made for Shield's headquarters. Thomas was the leader of the Foundation's intelligence division and knew a thing or two about spying.
And this building really didn't look like the headquarters of the world's biggest spy agency, after the Foundation that was.
Still, he didn't fully think it was a bad idea; it was hiding in plain sight, something a few Foundation SITEs also did.
Thomas stepped outside of his car and was flanked by two members of Alpha-1 who followed him as he walked towards the doors. He was rather happy with the new suit he had gotten his hands on. He had to admit that Alexander had done a good job at designing them.
Every member of the O5 council had their own special traits, acquired from the use of many SCP objects. While some were shared among all of them, not everyone had the ability to act in places they weren't in.
So if he wanted to be somewhere, he kind of had to be there in person, something that was a whole lot less dangerous now that he had his new suit. Not that he didn't have plenty of ways to ensure his own safety, but more never hurt.
Now, the ability to come here in person, clearly dressed suspiciously, and still be let inside without a problem was something he found endlessly fascinating.
He didn't fully understand the full reality of nature, which was the CK-class event. He had never heard of Shield before; he was fairly sure it wasn't an agency he was familiar with. Yet he had more than a hundred agents inside it.
From what he had been told about the CK event and the unknown SCP that had been used somewhere down the line, it seemed that, for some reason, the SCP Foundation was slowly getting seamlessly integrated with the new reality.
Something they were only aware of due to the mind-shielding earrings that Alexander had once again designed. If not for them, not even they would notice that something was clearly strange about some of their agents.
There were still many questions that he wanted answered, but answers were few and far between. The others clearly knew very little about the CK-class event themselves and only had a bit of knowledge about the secret SCP object that was somehow involved in the aftermath if they were to be believed.
He had worked with them for centuries, and he believed he had a good read on them and was rather confident that they weren't lying.
He walked right in the front doors and made his way towards the Director's office. He was given a few strange looks, but everyone was used to seeing strange sights around here. And since he seemed to have full access and everything booked, no one asked any questions.
The cost of this approach was that he had to sacrifice one of his spies, but he had wanted to talk with one of them anyway, or rather to fully check them, since he certainly hadn't placed the man inside Shield, he was very curious about how he ended up there.
So, all in all, it was hardly a price to pay, and this would have quite the impact on Fury and allow him to get a good feel for this king of spies.
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[Fury's Office
Thomas knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response. Fury looked up from his desk, his single eye narrowing at the unexpected visitor.
"Can I help you?" Fury's tone was guarded. After all, he hadn't been expecting visitors, and much less some with an armed guard or dressed as an overseer of Bulwark.
Thomas made his way inside and waved his hand over the empty space in front of Fury's desk, conjuring a chair for himself. "Director Fury, I am O5-6 of the Overseer's Council; I believe you have talked with my colleague O5-1 before."
Fury had to hold himself back from ringing the alarm. The only reason he didn't was because he wasn't sure how these men had even reached him. Had they walked the entire way? Or simply teleported to right outside his office?
If they could teleport like it was suspected that O5-1 could, then turning hostile in an attempt to capture them was pointless and would only serve to sour their relationship. "Yes, I've had the pleasure… now the question is, why are you here and not him?"
Thomas smiled, settling comfortably in the conjured chair. "O5-1 is preoccupied with other matters. So I volunteered to be the one paying you a visit, though I am curious. Can you guess why either of us felt the need to meet with you at this time?"
Fury's mind raced, but he kept his expression neutral. "Considering the timing, I'd wager it has something to do with the enhanced individual we had in custody and subsequently lost."
"Sharp as ever, Director," Thomas said with a nod. "Yes, it does. We believe we know what this person was, or maybe who? Though even we know not his name."
Fury raised an eyebrow. "Then what can you tell me about him?" He wasn't a man who would pass up the chance at getting some information, and if the Bulwark was feeling in a sharing mood, he would take it.
Thomas leaned forward slightly, his demeanor serious. "He is known to us as Object-1440, also referred to as 'The Old Man from Nowhere.' His presence alone causes catastrophic events and brings ruin and misfortune to all who cross his path. He is an anomaly that cannot be contained by conventional means."
Fury took a moment to take in the information. It somewhat fit with his own idea about this mysterious man; it at least confirmed that the Bulwark also thought he was responsible for the destruction of this small town and the death of everyone in it.
"You have prior knowledge about this man?" He couldn't help but ask, wanting more information, not just about the old man, but also about Bulwark's thought about him.
Thomas nodded, his expression grave. "Yes, we have encountered him multiple times. Each attempt to contain him has ended in disaster. Object-1440, as we designate him, brings destruction wherever he goes. His curse is a form of uncontrollable, anomalous misfortune. Machinery fails, structures collapse, and people die. It's not something he consciously controls; it simply happens in his presence."
Fury's gaze remained steady, processing the information. "He sounds dangerous, surely someone like you would have tried to do something about him before now, right? To stop him from causing all this damage."
Thomas leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving Fury's. "We have, Director Fury. We've tried containment, isolation, even negotiation. But nothing works. Every time we attempt to hold him, calamity strikes, often on a catastrophic scale. Object-1440 is a walking disaster, and his curse makes traditional containment methods ineffective."
Fury absorbed the information, his mind racing with the implications. "And what about more… permanent solutions? Have you attempted to eliminate him?"
Thomas's eyes narrowed slightly. "Director Fury, We seek to contain, to project, to study, and to understand these beings and objects; termination is only considered as a last resort. And even then, we can hardly do anything to this old man. The last time we had him taken in, the nuclear device we had stored on the site went off, and yet the man emerged unharmed; what hope could there be to kill someone that can escape a nuclear bomb unscathed?"
Fury's expression hardened as he absorbed Thomas's words. They were a treasure trove of information. They clearly explained what that mysterious nuclear explosion up in Canada was about, who was behind it, and why—all questions he hadn't had an answer for before now.
Still, while important, he still focused his attention on this Object-1440. "So, he's not just a threat; he's practically invincible. What do you propose we do? We can't have him wandering around causing chaos."
Thomas nodded, appreciating Fury's pragmatic approach. "Our best course of action is to track him constantly and attempt to steer him away from populated areas, and if impossible, then clear the path for him."
Fury leaned back in his chair, considering Thomas's proposal. He would be stupid to not see why the Bulwark had come froth about this information. Clearly the saw this object as completely useless. Worse, useless and dangerous.
They had likely attempted to capture and use the old man multiple times and now decided that it was impossible. At this point, they were burning through resources working to minimize the damage.
They clearly wanted to share the burden with SHIELD, let him take part, or even the entire cost of trying to keep the old man from doing more harm. Fury also knew that he likely couldn't turn them down.
He could use this, even if the old man indeed were useless, if he could just use him to prove to those fools at the security council that there were significant threats out there, and Shield was needed to take care of them.
It would likely already be worth it to show them that he and SHIELD were all doing well and that they had to continue to fund them. Still, he somehow also had to get more out of Bulwark; he wouldn't allow himself to be taken advantage of like that.
Thomas watched Fury closely, aware that the SHIELD director was weighing the benefits and drawbacks of their proposed collaboration. He knew Fury was a shrewd man, unlikely to accept the burden without ensuring there was something to gain.
Fury finally broke the silence. "I understand the gravity of the situation, and I'm willing to cooperate. However, SHIELD can't bear this responsibility alone. We need more than just information; we need resources, support, and a clear line of communication between our organizations."
Under his suit, Thomas smiled at Fury's response. This was what he had hoped for and what he had come prepared for. Now was the time to place the noose around Shield's neck, and all while making them think they were getting a good deal.
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