The transition between scenes happened quickly.
When the screen flickered back to life, no matter what anyone was doing in the Marvel world, they immediately stopped and turned their gaze to the sky. In just a few memories, James' experiences had been full of unknowns and adventures. Each new containment object that appeared had the ability to draw cheers from the audience watching across the world. Especially after James had risen from being a lowly D-Class personnel to a member of the Mobile Task Force, the excitement had only intensified. Countless people were now eagerly waiting for his next adventure.
"The SCRAMBLE device is a visual aid designed to rapidly identify and neutralize cognitohazards, memetic hazards, and other anomalies in the user's field of view, thereby protecting them from unexpected dangers."
The scene appeared on the screen as the instructor's familiar voice echoed through the room. He held up a pair of sleek goggles, clearly introducing their function.
"Had we had these when containment of SCP-096 failed last time, things might've gone differently," the instructor continued.
Before he could finish, a man in a white lab coat hurried over and whispered something into the instructor's ear.
"James, Jack, Noah, and Houston, the four of you, come with me," the instructor called out.
Everyone in the classroom turned their attention to the four men. Noah, a lanky young man who was often seen arguing with Jack, and Houston, a towering, muscular man, followed the instructor. Jack, however, couldn't resist whistling as he turned toward James.
"Here comes the work!" Jack exclaimed with a grin.
James only nodded in response, though his mind was already on what was to come.
"See? We only pick the best for our missions!" Jack boasted.
As the four of them left the classroom, a chorus of murmurs followed them. Jack, eager to keep up his playful demeanor, continued to chat with the others as they walked through the hallways.
"Boss, what kind of mission are we going on this time?" Jack asked, catching up to Instructor Ross. "Do you need our legendary Trident for this one?"
Noah, who had never quite gotten along with Jack, muttered under his breath, "Trident? There are four of us, and you're just the handle!"
"Then I'm the halberd!" Jack shot back.
Instructor Ross, clearly annoyed by their bickering, stopped suddenly and pushed open the door to a makeshift command post. Inside, a few doctors and military officers in white coats were deep in conversation, their faces serious.
"We've lost one of our team members from Mobile Task Force Zeta-9, the 'Mole Rats'..." one officer was saying, "But we still know nothing about what's going on inside Site-13..."
"That's why we need to find out what's really happening in there," another officer added gravely.
The conversation didn't make sense at first, but from the tone and expressions of the officers, it was clear that something far from ordinary was taking place.
"Report!" one officer called.
"Come in!" Instructor Ross responded as he led James and the others into the room.
The commanding officer of the group turned to them with no pleasantries, immediately getting to the point. "We need you to carry out an exploration mission."
James and the others straightened up at the mention of the mission, and the audience watching from the live broadcast room leaned forward, eager to understand what was at stake.
"Exploration mission?" James thought, his curiosity piqued. "Could it be something like exploring an anomaly within a structure, similar to SCP-1983?"
The officer handed them a file without further explanation. James flipped it open, and the others crowded around to read the details.
Project Name: Site-13
Item #: SCP-1730
Confidentiality Level: 3
Object Class: Unknown
"Unknown?" James' brow furrowed. This word alone sent a chill through the room. Nick Fury, who had been quietly observing, also narrowed his eyes at the file. The Foundation itself was admitting that they knew nothing about SCP-1730?
But more importantly—why was the project called Site-13? Could this "unknown" anomaly be the site itself?
Nick Fury's mind raced, quickly connecting the dots. If Site-13 had indeed become a containment object, the implications were dire.
Special Containment Procedures:
A perimeter has been established 2 km around SCP-1730, with the area within 1 km designated as a quarantine zone.
Any personnel entering SCP-1730 must undergo Class VII Hazardous Exposure Precautions, including the use of modified "Maxwell-Harden" procedures for hazmat suits. However, these protective measures may only be effective within the isolation gate of Provisional Site-23.
Personnel attempting to leave the quarantine zone must undergo thorough decontamination protocols. If the procedures become unfeasible, termination of the subject may be necessary.
Fury's frown deepened. An entire site designated as an anomaly? And these extreme measures for containment? Something was seriously wrong here.
Containment Procedure Updates:
Due to the high number of casualties among security and rescue teams from dangerous organisms and cognitohazardous entities, Mobile Task Force Zeta-9 Mole-Rats has been assigned to handle all future exploration efforts.
Following the events detailed in Exploration Log 7, all further exploration of SCP-1730 has been suspended indefinitely, pending approval from overseeing personnel.
The room fell silent, and Fury's heart began to race. It was clear from the updates that not only had the task force suffered heavy casualties, but the anomaly they were dealing with was far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.
"For this mission... I can only say that it is worthy of the Mobile Task Force," the commanding officer added with a grim tone. "Prepare yourselves. This is going to be one of the toughest assignments we've faced."
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha Romanoff's lips pressed into a thin line as she absorbed the information. Despite her extensive experience in the field, even she felt the weight of the mission. The idea of an entire site, a facility filled with uncontainable anomalies, being breached was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
As the briefing continued, Jack, Noah, and Houston prepared themselves for the perilous mission ahead. James felt the gravity of the situation as he looked at the file. It was one thing to neutralize dangerous entities. It was another to explore the heart of a complete disaster. The mobile task force would be facing a mission unlike anything they had encountered before.
As they left the conference room, the mission ahead loomed over them like a storm cloud, dark and filled with the promise of danger.
The audience watching the broadcast held their breath, knowing that whatever came next would be a test of endurance, strategy, and perhaps even fate itself.
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