Good evening Mr. President," I state respectfully as I greet the man and his rather wary escort, especially at the pair of soldiers behind me. Despite my best the werewolves had the same markers that made the people of this world instinctively wary of them.
"Yes, good evening to you to Mr. Swift. Now I am here for the ah...tour of the facilities. I am sure you were forewarned." The elderly man says, as he looks at the surroundings. I could fear the undercurrent of unease he has, but above that the disbelief. It was only with his presidency that he became aware of my organization's purpose and existence after all and the rather large budget I was given.
"Yes. I have had everything set up," I state pleasantly. "Please follow me." I state as I gesture to a rather squat and flat building. It was a slightly alien thing. Gothic architecture writ small and lacking any of the hard edges of human construction, the only outward proof that Shoggoths were used in its construction rather than human hands.
"Of course," the president says as we move into the building.
----
"The Special Investigations Unit was created over five years ago and since then we have expanded to having 4,558 full time employees. Of course over half of them are not present at this moment," I state as we walk through the central lobby, a single nod given to the receptionist in the front. To a normal human it would be a rather eerily silent and empty place. A side effect of working with things that naturally stresses the human mind.
"Why would they not be here?" Hoover asks as we walk to the elevator
"Half of my staff are investigators. Most of the reports from my department actually come from them. They're stationed across the country investigating occult activity. I am told they have managed to lower the rate of crime across the country." One of the various covers for my organization. A subset of the FBI, though it wasn't called the FBI yet, that was focused on investigating local crime. Their success was mainly due to magical means of investigation.
The elevator hums and then moves downward. "Underground?" the man asks.
I nod. "Almost all of our serious work is done best underground. The upper floors are for the bureaucrats. You must understand that our work is too sensitive for normal paper pushers."
"I do not see why they…they" the President says but stops and looks aghast at what he sees as the elevator opens. A thousand open eyes and shrieking that grates on the mind. Great tentacles reaching across the floor to reach into vats of material even as it alights with veins of molten material. At the base of the great black mount is a gaping maw filled with rotating teeth and undulating flesh spits out ooze covered equipment ranging from cell phones to firearms. And there were three of them. "What…what is that."
I look at the man with some faux confusion. "That is a shoggoth Mr. President. It is one of the reasons why we require such a low budget. I am reports concerning this was sent to White House in the past."
"I…I yes it was, but…uh" the man says flatfooted. He clearly did not believe what the purpose of my organization was when he came here, but now he was aware with the shocking result.
As the man continues to grapple with the truth of it all I gesture for the workers to get back to work which they do with practiced ease. One must be able to ignore things like that if they are working constantly with a mind bound shoggoth constantly shrieking eldritch obscenities. "This is the manufacturing level," I state, clearly ignoring the panicking of the President. "It is where all of our equipment is produced. We actually send some of the production to the other parts of the government. Your mobile phone was built here."
The president of the united states only nods dumbly as he continues to stare at the undulating mass of tentacles but I could tell he was still listening given by the fact he followed me as I walked. This should secure the organization for the next 4 years. I hope that President Roosevelt was a stronger man.
---
Besides the investigators and bureaucrats that formed my organization the half original core of soldiers that were initially chosen still remain. Though the nature of their duty meant that half of them broke from the stress and difficulty of their jobs. Many of the ones that did not break readily accepted becoming werewolves in order to better combat the monsters out there. The Deeps Ones had made several major incursions in North America due to our actions. Keeping them secret was also our duty as a broken masquerade would only cause undue panic and insanity given how just knowledge of what is out there tended to destabilize the mind somehow. It was why I copied an idea from the old men in black and created the Neruolizer for my agents.
Several stressed soldiers retired to become curators, the term given to those that handled the vaults I had built to house all sorts of eldritch and arcane artifacts. Many were on permanent assignment to watch things in the ruins of Innsmouth along with the military cordon. It was a relatively low stress environment in comparison to their researcher counterparts. They were even smaller than the curators who barely reached 91. These were the deranged and daring people that allowed themselves to actively work with the occult to learn its secrets. In fact a full quarter of the magical arsenal of the organization came from them. That said it was unfortunate that I had to have many of them put down after they inevitably grow truly unhinged
Necronomicon, my version at least, is a rather thick book. Nondescript except for the patchwork of beige leather that made up its cover. It says something about the book that the only real thing that is constant with is the macrabe cover. I wondered exactly why this Necronomicon held power until I actually started reading it. The Necronomicon is, for lack of a better term, a bible for the Outer Gods. Just as the Old Testament contained the history of the world according to God the Necronomicon listed the full history of the Old Ones, from their birth from the Outer Gods to their building of civilization and spread across the cosmos all the way to their death and even descriptions of what would happen when the stars were right.
Abdul Alhazard, the Mad Arab, scribed the tome from the words of his god, Yog-Sothoth. The magic inherent in the book is due to the fact that these very prayers and rituals are miracles granted by Yog-Sothoth. The Al Azif, at least the ones I have in my possession, is essentially an unholy relic of the Outer Gods. Containing instructions for rituals, potions, procedures, and so much more in addition to the knowledge it provides. In the lands of the Mythos it trully is a powerful tool. A tool that I am using right now.
With careful movements I urge blood, my blood, to slowly spread out in the required formation. Arcane glyphs that I know had some memetic hazards integrated within for any lesser mind or those not protected by the book. Yes, the book itself works to protect the reader from the threats of its contents as some of the symbols detailed within held power within themselves.
I reach out and snap, sparks exploding from the act as numerous magical circles alight over the one of blood that I had inscribed onto the ground. Magic in the DC universe was lying to the world hard enough that reality complied with that lie. I Cheat helped apply that to all magics that I know. Granted I can't really take apart the spells of the Necronomicon, but I can layer onto it several other spells I know.
A flick of telekinesis brings the skin bound book in front of me, opening it to the proper page. Words impossible for the human tongue yet made possible due to the book are spoken and the blood catches golden flames. Space twists and my own spells get to work. There is some shuddering in the surrounding cabinets and drawers but I push on.
"Be Called and acknowledge the compact. Be sated and know the law thou takes in. Be present and affirm the oaths." I state imperiously, the result of half a dozen mystic traditions stripped away of their dressing and bound together into a singular spell, made possible by I Cheat and the souls of over a dozen magicians I have consumed. The effects of my words immediately ring out. Space opens with a sickening squeal. It is a good thing that the ritual was in the House of Mysteries. It ensured that nothing would be seen outside.
A flash resounds with an indescribable feeling and in the great circle, a circle of golden glyphs around her neck signifying the binding, is the being I was summoning. Wearing distinctly Egyptian garb, with skin as dark as night and flecked with stars and a cat's head. The protector deity Bast stands before me. I smile at my success. This was good.
"I am surprised you even accepted my call," I note as I carefully look over the magic of the bindings that was suffusing her avatar. "I didn't actually think you would accept."
"It has been centuries since someone has actually seriously summoned me," she purrs out, the strange mixing of the echoing tones of the eldritch and a cat's mewl. "And yours was so interesting. I did not think there still existed magi that were capable of altering the call so thoroughly. And the taste it held simply attracted my attention," she says as she steps forward. At that a flicker of golden lightning streaks out, a barrier around the summoning circle revealing itself. "Paranoid," she says with amusement.
I shrug. "One must be careful. I have read of you, but considering your kin. It is better to be safe than sorry."
"Indeed," she agree. "You at least do not have the suicidal bravery of those that called me in the past. Still, you humans are interesting at least and you do take such good care of my descendants," she says as she reaches down and rubs the head of several of the cats I adopted in anticipation of this years ago.
"I thank you," I state. "But we must continue on with the ritual. I altered it so that the terms of the contract are made apparent to you before you come. Do you accept them?" I ask.
"Hmmm," she hums. "You wish for me to provide aid to the organization you founded. Both in keeping it away from eldritch corruption and generally provided a backup should it ever come close to falling. In exchange you would turn the highest level of it all to a temple for me? A rather pleasant arrangement. Of course I would accept."
I breathe out a sigh of relief. Elder Gods were gods still and as is the lot of immortals, they were slow to change. Bast would keep the terms of the contract in spirit for several centuries yet. Enough time to help humanity build up on what eldritch knowledge has been built up. Enough to stand a chance. "Thank you," I state. "The pact is set."
---
Out of sight, out of mind is the saying that applies to my organization. In truth part of it was my own regular efforts to continue to obscure my operations. In the chaos and panic that is the onset of the Great Depression I was readily able to do what I wanted though I knew that the coming of the second world war would more than likely change things. I also know that as it is the organization that I lead is dependent on me to an unprecedented extent. It made sense. By the 5th year I had stopped making a pretense of being normal human to my subordinates. It didn't change much really. They already saw me as an incredibly powerful sorcerer with vast arcane power and knowledge. I had to show it to accelerate the shoggoth project and the various cults that did not like their sudden suppression in the new world.
"S..sir. Please state that again," Abel says. He had changed little in the near decade of service. He was one of the few to truly master their wolf instincts and interact regularly with humanity and one of the few that did not let their inhumanity get to their head and make themselves out to be superior creatures. Those I put down when they strayed.
"I am retiring Mr. Landon," I state again, louder and firmer this time. "I have been meaning to for some months but the work has finally cleared up. I have made no secret that I will not be leading this organization."
The trained soldiers stands up in outrage. "But sir it's only been eight years. What about the organization? What about all the good we do?" he demands his agitation causing his muscles to twist unnaturally. A slip of the man's iron clad control.
"8 years is long enough for most men Mr. Ladon. It is enough for our Presidents so it should be good enough for me. I have already set up the core of the organization and one only needs to be kept steady in these tumultuous times. I will remain in an advisory role for a year or so to advise you on the running of the organization." I state.
"Wait…me?" the pale skinned man says, pointing a gloved finger at himself. "Why?"
I lean back and turn my swivel chair to look at the false skylight above me. "You sell yourself short Mr. Ladon. I have been watching you all these years and you have proven yourself an able administrator and leader and you have one thing that is very difficult to find in this world," I state passionately.
"And what is that sir?" The man asks, his rejection subsumed by his curiosity.
I smile. "Why your heart my boy. You are one of the few that I am confident will not be corrupted when confronting what is out there even in the face of death. A paragon if you will," I state genialy. Whether it was through magic, psychological investigation, and even indirect observation I had lucked out in getting one of the few humans with absolute moral character. The type of person Alucard would have loved to fight.
At my words the man is speechless. I stand up and walk around my desk to pat him on his shoulder. "I will continue running things until the end of August Mr. Ladon. I would like to have your acceptance or rejection by the end of May if possible." I tell him and then move on, the heavy wooden door closing with a silent click as I leave him alone in the room save for the invisible shadow of my familiars.The universe is vast and full of wonders. But more often than not those same wonder are horrors cast in a different light. My departure from a position of leadership has left me with more free time than I have had in years. Oh sure I would check up regularly. First on a daily basis and then on a weekly but now, a year later, Abel has finally come to his own such that I do not need to worry about him as much. He even managed to secure the support to take custody of all works of the Mythos I identified. I did not do so in the past due to my desire for keeping the secrecy of my organization but Abel was not having that.
Already waves were being made in the Mythos community especially as the werewolves went out and exterminated long observed Mythos hotspots and secured eldritch artifacts like the Trapezohedron. Abel was a man of action unlike my own focus on cataloguing what was out there. Closer connections to the army were being made. A part of me is concerned over the power things of the Mythos could have on the world to come, but I decide to let the dice fall where they may. Humanity must make its own decision. I've meddled enough. Besides my deadline is coming.
Looking at the large wall filled with detailed images and writings as well as various star charts I cannot help but be excited. Nearly a decade of constant desk jobs had given me a great deal to think about. Gathering all the knowledge had given me an awareness of what is out there that filled in what the Necronomicon glossed over. The past year of major free time only helped serve to bring idle thoughts and musing to a single large project that I have been meaning to do.
"So you are finally going to do it then?" a deep baritone voice rings out.
I turn around and look at the amused face of Alucard as he also looks at the large paper covered wall. "Yes," I state. "One last hurrah. Heh, it's funny. I always wanted to explore the cosmos near a century ago and now when I have the means I put it off."
"Such is life of an immortal. You will always have the time to try something until you wish for nothing anymore," Alucard responds with a contemplative voice. "I would love to join in your hunt but I am still confined in this place."
"That…" I start haltingly. "How has it been?" I ask.
"Fair," the old vampire replies. "It is a vast place." His face splits into a massive smile. "The house even led me to places where I can fight powerful foes even if they were but creations of the house." The last part was laced with disappointment. "Ah, let's hope that the next world is better," he says before turning around and walking outside, footsteps indicating his return to the room containing his coffin.
---
"Jumper I have some matters to discuss with you."
Being awoken by Syr was not unusual. She had taken to playing the part as my lover rather well, acquiescing to every position and desire with the same curiosity that she approached things, especially entranced by the diffirent forms of pleasure the human body could create even if it in the end it was all so lesser to the her that was in the form of a Star Spawn. That said having her waking me up naked while standing stock still at the foot of my be was new. She would usually make things more sensual.
Sitting up I take not of her serious face and dein to giver he my full attention. "Syr…what is it?"
"You are leaving soon and with that the majority of my duties are fulfilled," she says.
"Yes," I state then I stop. "The majority?" I ask.
She nods. "Yes, among the orders my god has given me one of them was to try to see if I could produce offspring with you. The essence of one that exists beyond the Sultan's realm would be invaluable for later actions."
My eyes widen as I understand what she was saying. I was a stranger to this world. Azathoth was slumbering and his dreams create this universe of horror. When it awakens all things will vanish. Having something that originated from beyond Azathoth's dreams would be invaluable to Cthulhu who both feared and worshipped the Outer Gods in equal measure.
"I see," is all I can say to the revelation.
"Indeed. I had initially tried storing your sperm but found that they…resisted all attempts at conception. Your seed is sterile in all ways. But I have recently found out that you control your fertility. I wish to fulfill that final directive of mine," she says woodenly.
I freeze, processing her words again and again. In the end I can only sigh. It was obvious that despite all the things done she was not human. All I helped was perfect her human mask. Knowing her she would not stop pestering. Logically I weight the merits of the action and what the result of such a union would be. "I…give me time to think about it alright," I state.
Syr gives a light nod. "Very well. I will ask again in a week."