The live broadcast room was deathly quiet at first.
Viewers could clearly see the dramatic shift in James's demeanor—his expression turned grave, his posture tense—but no one could quite understand what triggered the change.
"Wait, what just happened?"
"Yeah! Why did James suddenly tell them to evacuate Site-17? Did something happen?"
"I thought they were just arguing. Was there something more serious behind it?"
"I'm so confused. My head is spinning..."
"..."
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
Natasha Romanoff sat before the screen, just as perplexed as the audience.
But she could tell Nick Fury had picked up on something crucial. Turning to him, she asked, "Boss, what's going on?"
All eyes in the room turned to Fury.
He rubbed his chin for a moment before speaking slowly. "If I remember correctly, SCP-239 was immersed in a kind of role-play scenario."
Natasha nodded. "Yeah, she thinks she's a witch."
"To be precise," Fury corrected, "a kind-hearted, righteous witch."
Natasha frowned. "Okay… but what's the problem?"
Fury narrowed his one good eye, his voice dropping to a grim tone. "Imagine this. The character you're playing is full of justice and compassion. Now ask yourself—what does a good person do for such a righteous witch?"
Natasha's face slowly drained of color. Her breath caught.
"They protect her," she whispered. "Good people… would absolutely protect the righteous witch..."
The realization hit her like a thunderbolt. Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at the screen. Fear—raw and bone-deep—settled in.
Back at Site-17
James stormed out of the conference room and headed directly to his quarters.
Without hesitation, he tore open a drawer and pulled out a silver pistol. His hands moved quickly but with icy precision. At the same time, he called Zyn and Lois.
Lois picked up first. His voice sounded distant and anxious. "I've already applied for reassignment to Site-14. I'm leaving Site-17 as soon as possible."
James pressed further. "What about Zyn?"
"She's gone. Headed for Site-19. Left this morning."
Though Lois didn't say it out loud, his trembling voice betrayed his fear. He didn't ask any questions—perhaps because deep down, he already understood what was coming.
"Be careful, James!" he added before ending the call.
James stared at the phone for a beat, then muttered, "Yeah. Work's going just fine."
Snap.
The unmistakable sound of a gun loading echoed in the room.
He stroked the pistol gently. His entire demeanor shifted—no longer just cold or composed. Now he exuded lethal resolve.
The chat exploded with stunned messages.
"A pistol? What the hell is James planning?"
"Don't tell me… he's going to rebel?"
But James wasn't done. He activated a recorder and began to speak.
"Dr. Clef's termination plan for SCP-239 is highly feasible…"
He paused.
"Unfortunately, Clef made a fatal mistake. Instead of transmitting the plan through a secure channel, he presented it at the meeting—where far too many people heard it."
He took a slow breath and continued.
"As recorded in Incident Report 239-A, SCP-239 has made contact with over a dozen personnel at Site-17. Whether through sympathy or due to its reality-warping influence, four doctors have now demonstrated irrational behavior—actively attempting to stop Clef from executing the plan."
James's voice dropped into a chilling calm.
"I suspect the plan has already been leaked. SCP-239's containment is on the verge of failure."
The chatroom went into chaos.
"WAIT, WHAT?!"
"A Keter-level, fourth-level reality bender is about to breach containment?!"
"No way—he's saying the doctors have been mind-warped into protecting her!"
"No wonder they were fighting in that meeting. Damn it, they've been compromised!"
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Natasha, pale-faced, whispered, "He knew… from the start. That's why he urged his friends to leave…"
She watched the lone figure of James on the screen. His back was straight, his stride firm. There was something noble—tragically noble—about him.
"But why didn't he leave too?" she murmured.
Fury sighed heavily. "Would James be the type to run?"
She had no response.
Back on Screen
James placed the recorder and gun on the table and exited his room. He weaved through the corridors, finally returning to the now-empty conference room.
He stopped a passing researcher.
"Is the meeting over? What happened?"
The man adjusted his glasses awkwardly and tried to force a smile. "What do you think? Clef's a lunatic. He actually suggested killing the 'kind witch.' His plan was shut down."
James gave him a long, unreadable stare. The man fidgeted under his gaze.
"So… where are Dr. Clef and Dr. Kondraki?" James asked.
The researcher's eyes darted. "Kondraki's in the SCP-408 observation lab. As for Clef… maybe he returned to Site-19?"
He didn't wait for more questions and hurried off, clearly spooked.
James stood still, thinking deeply.
Kamar-Taj
The Ancient One didn't need to guess. She'd noticed it the moment the researcher walked away—green energy particles subtly clinging to his body.
It was the unmistakable sign of a mind altered by reality distortion.
Things were spiraling fast.
And James… James had chosen to stay behind.
Stark Tower
Tony Stark watched the broadcast in silence, his arms crossed. "So the guy's trying to be a hero again? That's suicide."
But there was admiration in his tone.
Rhodes stood beside him. "Clef might still pull this off, right?"
Tony didn't look convinced. "You're talking about a man with a gun fighting a god-level child who can rewrite reality like fanfiction."
Rhodes shrugged. "Hasn't stopped James before."
Tony sighed, glancing at the screen with quiet hope. "Don't die on us, James. We need your data logs."
Suddenly, the screen went black.
Then flickered back to life.
Days had passed. Now, the feed showed James and Dr. Kondraki in conversation.
Ksshh—Snap!
Dr. Kondraki lit a cigarette and offered one to James, who declined.
"I gotta say," Kondraki said, puffing, "your insight is terrifying. Not many people could deduce the containment breach risk just from those hints."
"What's the status now?" James asked, tone flat.
"Clef got a warning from the higher-ups. He's en route to Site-17. Still hellbent on carrying out the plan."
James said nothing, merely held out his hand.
Kondraki passed him a document. "Sent by Clef to HQ five hours ago. It's… well, just read it."
James read silently:
I, Alto Clef, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare that the actions I'm about to take are solely my own. I've received no official orders. I'm acting alone.
Also, I'm a liar. Which part of the above is false? I leave that to post-incident investigators. Maybe I lied about being a liar. That's a loop that'll break your brain.
Kondraki exhaled smoke with a sigh. "The man has a title, you know—'The Father of Lies.'"
James kept reading:
I've waited too long. It's time to act.
If my suspicions are correct and Site-17 has been compromised, someone will inevitably warn SCP-239 about the termination plan.
No one can predict the consequences after that.
Thanks to my unique psychological composition, I'm immune to her reality-warping. But a CK-class reality shift? That's still a CK-class shift. I like the world the way it is.
The entire audience watching—millions of viewers across the Marvel Universe—was shaken.
He'd predicted it. James had been right all along.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Fury leaned forward, eyes glued to one line: "My unique flaws protect me from reality distortion."
"He's immune?" he whispered.
More excerpts followed:
I've created weapons using telekill alloy. Multiple forms, multiple ranges. Everything prepared.
What disappoints me is how the Foundation refuses to act. They know how dangerous she is. And yet they hesitate.
Maybe it's the reality warping. Or maybe they're just too attached to the image of a dangerous weapon shaped like a little girl.
Either way, I've had enough.
The feed faded.
And so did the remaining illusions.
What came next would be a battle no one could forget—between the Foundation's greatest liar…
…and a godlike child who didn't even know she was a threat.
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