Scp-196 Novels & Stories

The figure loomed in the dimly lit chamber, his black robe swaying unnaturally as if moved by an invisible wind. The strange star symbol etched on his chest seemed to pulse with dark energy, radiating an unsettling aura that filled the room. Maria and Nina exchanged a tense glance, their bodies taut with anticipation. Maria's fingers moved subtly, forming precise gestures that Nina immediately understood: Secure the evidence. No mistakes. Nina nodded slightly, sliding the gathered documents and camera into her satchel. Her movements were swift but deliberate, ensuring nothing would be left behind.

Yet, I was so wrong. When I saw Jackal that day, I saw something in him that made me back out and depart the room. A ray of light, though not a dazzling one, united Scarlet and Jerk. Looking into my clairvoyance, I realised I had underestimated my enemy. Not only was he linked to Scarlet, possibly someone she had known when young, he was also not an ordinary human.

I wasn't going to start a fight I couldn't be sure of winning. The thunk of each boot stopped before I could see anyone, only a meter or so through the door beside me. I tried to slow my breathing so my location wouldn't be heard, but I was both terrified and pumped full of adrenaline. What could this intruder want. Before I could decide to act a small canister rolled into the room and then the door began to shut. The markings on the object made it clear it was a paralysis bomb. I needed to get out of the room before it went off.

She stepped forward, slamming the thick stack of historical notes flat onto the central table. "The creature that attacked Brynn was a rogue scout, still consumed by the old starvation disease," Rebecca explained, her brilliant eyes sweeping across the freaked-out faces of her high command. "But their leader has regained his mind. His name is Navarien. And before anyone draws a blade or speaks of execution... you are all going to sit down, close your mouths, and read the true ledger of who we actually are."

* Anji slammed his wrench into the exposed, freezing motherboard of the main node in front of him, feeling the satisfying crunch of brittle silicon beneath the strike. He slumped back, his fingers stiff and clumsy, leaning his back against the cooling vent. For the first time since this began, the psychic 'hum' of the parasite vanished, replaced by the beautiful, biting reality of cold air and dead machine silence. His phone beeped—a real, physical vibration against his leg. A message from Arga. *Foundational structural alarm triggered, boss. Sector 19 just dropped. If you aren't already halfway down the shaft, you're going to get crushed by the collapsing floors.*

"And their supernatural subjects?" I asked quietly. "The ones they've already taken?" Cynthia's expression grew haunted. "Kept in specialized containment designed to neutralize their specific abilities. Some have been there for decades, their genetics harvested repeatedly for new research lines. Others..." She paused. "Others don't survive the more invasive procedures." Liam moved to stand beside me, his hand on my shoulder as I processed these horrific truths through my gift. "How do we find Sentinel?" Alex demanded. "If he's had access to our medical records, he may already have preliminary samples."

The system was designed to detect ghosts — students who’d vanished but weren’t supposed to. Her name flashed again. SOPHIA MAKINDE — STATUS: ALIVE A male voice in the dark swore under his breath. He clicked the command prompt. Initiate: Containment Protocol Code: “CRIMSON WAKE” Behind the hum of servers, a second monitor showed another girl’s profile now tagged: HELENA JAMES — POTENTIAL INFECTED The machine made no sound. But someone watching was already picking up the phone. Back in Madrid — Sophia’s Small Apartment

However, considering the circumstances, this mission is continuing to make me break more and more standard operating procedures. A few minutes later, as we pull onto Interstate 40, I get a response from Zeke. “Vic = Stephanie Webber. 21 female. Found in room 669, by housekeeper, 45 minutes ago. No T.O.D. estimate yet.” “Captain Hammer’s nipples,” I curse. “We’ve been on this assignment barely a week, and Nick’s already running circles around us.” “You’re just upset he’s killing people, and you aren’t,” Mary Sue replies.

But he's too late and too far away. The creature raises one massive bear paw and, with a powerful stomp, smashes the rogue's head like a watermelon. The witch drawls with obvious delight, "Oh, that reminds me—do note that Subject B17 will attack indiscriminately. Anyone who isn't one of us is a target." She pauses, her smile widening. "Well, all the subjects will do that, actually." That's when I notice other cages rising from the ground at different intervals around the field. Large cages, dozens of them, appearing like some nightmare jack-in-the-box.

"I know. Give me two hours to suppress what I can suppress. Then I'll return to deal with whatever the Beijing artifacts have become." She left the containment facility at a run, her coordination abilities already reaching toward the first priority targets a cluster of three artifacts in a private collector's home, their quantum signatures approaching activation threshold within minutes of each other. The collector's home was chaos. The owner an elderly vampire who'd accumulated supernatural artifacts for two centuries was barricaded in her bedroom while quantum consciousness patterns activated in her study. Kael didn't bother knocking. She used her guardian authorization to override the bui