After the termination of over two hundred 173 clones, Rocky returns to his room followed by Sasha. Once inside, Rocky collapses on his bed.
Sasha crotches next to the bed. "Are you okay?"
"I have been in phase 2 for too long. If I get too exhausted phase 3 might take over." Rocky groans.
Sasha looks confused. "Do.. you want me to restrain you?"
"Only if I go out of control." Rocky looks up at Sasha. "If I EVER hit phase 3, restrain me and pin me down. There is no telling what that animal might do."
Sasha leans closer. "I know you destroyed the cameras in here, but perhaps we shouldn't discuss this so openly."
"Just promise me, the minute you see the wolf take over wrap me, pin me, and don't let go." Rocky orders.
Sasha nods with a worried expression. "Should I..."
Suddenly a knock can be heard on the door.
"Whoever that is send them away." Rocky growls.
Sasha rushes to the door and cracks it open. "Hello?"
Claudia pushes the door open and walks in. "Rocky, listen! I got a new proposal for you!"
"Excuse you!" Sasha exclaims, grabbing her arm. "My.. Rocky is not feeling well, at the moment! Can't this wait?!"
Claudia yanks her arm away. "You obviously do not know who I am." She approaches Rocky. "Hook me up with D1988 and we will call this whole thing even."
"Not now, Claudia. I am kind.. of.. having issues." Rocky struggles to reply as he sits up.
"Claudia.." Sasha waves. "Move away from him, it is not safe."
Claudia turns her head to look at Sasha. "Oh whatever, he is just being a drama queen!"
Rocky goes limp as his eyes close one last time before opening again. His eyes lack all color except pure white as he looks up at Claudia. Slowly a dark aura surrounds his head, arms, and legs appearing as a bi-pedal wolf/ werewolf, and begins emitting an enhanced level of heat.
Sasha leaps forward, in a split second pushing Claudia clear of Rocky's newly formed claws, and wraps herself around him. She then lodges herself into the walls and floor.
"Does this look like a drama queen to you?!" Sasha shouts at Claudia.
Claudia is noticeably shaking as she tries to regain her composure. "I.. uh.. damn.. thanks."
Rocky growls and barks at Claudia, being held back by Sasha.
"Get out, dumbass!" Sasha exclaims.
Claudia rushes to the door, only turning back for a moment. "Once he regains control, have him contact me."
"Okay! Lock the door!" Sasha orders.
Claudia runs out and closes the door. A buzzer can be heard as the door locks.
Sasha begins wrapping Rocky up more. "Come on, Rocky! What if Jennifer saw you like this?"
Rocky stops growling and looks towards a nearby mirror. "Hate.. you." He growls.
"I.. know you are not talking about me." Sasha replies with an air of offense.
Rocky lunges at the mirror, pulling Sasha loss from the wall. "I HATE YOU!!" He shouts.
Sasha quickly anchors herself into the floor, more than before. "Whoa there, Hoss! Take that shit down a few levels."
"I.. hate.. you.. too." A calmer voice comes from Rocky, as he continues to stare at himself in the mirror now sadly.
"Rocky?! Buddy, I need you to try to take control again! I can't hold him for long!" Sasha urges.
Rocky's eyes begin blinking, appearing as white then blue, rapidly before they finally rest on blue. At that moment, Rocky passes out and begins snoring. The wolf shaped aura also closes its eyes and disappears.
Sasha carefully returns him to the bed and wraps around both him and the bed. "Please.. don't do that again."
Out in the hall, Claudia walks swiftly back towards her room, but when she turns a corner she comes face to face with Dr. Clef.
"Holy shit! Clef, you scared the hell out of me!" Claudia exclaims in surprise, taking a step back.
Dr. Clef smiles. "What were you doing in SCP-GU411's room?"
"That is none of your business!" Claudia replies, walking past him with her nose turned up.
Dr. Clef grabs her arm and pins her against a walk, drawing a knife from under his lab coat and placing it against her throat. "Claudia, I am making it my business. Don't make me throw you in with SCP-401."
Claudia spits in Dr. Clef's face. "You're a monster!"
Dr. Clef shakes his head sadly. "I am just a simple father and lover that wishes to ensure their safety. I would do great and terrible things for them, as I am sure you are aware I already have. Now.." He pulls the knife closer to Claudia's throat. "Tell me what you know."
The next morning, Rocky awakes looking down at Sasha. "Are you okay?"
Sasha forms a face out of her chains. "Of course I am okay. The real question is how do we keep this from happening again?"
Rocky shrugs, as Sasha releases him. "I don't know if there is a way. He is kind of a useful trunk card if shit goes very south."
Sasha continues to form into her full human shape. "He pulled me loss from the walls and floor, Rocky. I can't promise I can hold him next time."
Rocky smiles. "Well, he can't break you, so just hogtie him."
Sasha heads for the shower.
"What are you doing?" Rocky asks.
"I need a bath. You sweated all over me last night, not to mention your inhuman amount of drool." Sasha groans as she slams the bathroom door.
Rocky chuckles, looking at a mirror. "Sounds like he scared her quite a bit."
His reflection stares back at him, with grey eyes, disapprovingly.
"What?" Rocky asks.
"This is a big problem that YOU continue to ignore. If it was not for Sasha we might have killed everyone." The reflection turns away. "If Jennifer had been harmed you know you would have never forgiven yourself."
"What do you propose?" Rocky asks.
The reflection shrugs. "See if the 'dragon' can teach you something useful. If nothing else, you will eventually have to confront him."
"Will you be there?" Rocky asks.
The reflection turns with a smile. "I will always be here with you. Even if the whole world turned against you, I will always remain by your side to protect you."
Rocky smiles with a nod. "Let's get this day started then."
Sasha walks out of the bathroom. "Who are you talking to?"
Rocky winks. "Just talking to myself."
Sasha puts on the clothes Jennifer allowed her to borrow. "I like that guy."
"What guy?" Rocky asks.
"Your other self, the phase 2 one. He is very pleasant to talk to.. kind of like talking to my dad." Sasha stares off thoughtfully.
"I take it you had a good relationship with your dad?" Rocky asks.
"The best! I was daddy's little girl, no one could separate us. We played sports, went fishing, even talked about our problems together."
"What about your mother?" Rocky asks.
Sasha looks at him sadly. "I never got a chance to meet her.. She.. died giving birth to me. Dad did his best for me. It must have broken his heart when I disappeared."
"Do you ever think about tracking him down?" Rocky asks.
Sasha comes over and sits down next to Rocky, laying her head on his shoulder. "I had one of my clones track him down.. he found his grave."
Rocky slowly wraps his arm around Sasha. "I.. am sorry, Sasha."
"It is times like this I wish I was human so I could properly cry." Sasha says softly, wrapping her arms around Rocky. "If it wasn't for you, Jennifer, Iris, Dr. Clef, and Doctor Therman I might not have anything to live for."
"Want to join me for a gym trip today?" Rocky asks.
Sasha looks up with a smile. "Oh hell yeah!"
Rocky takes a quick shower and they head to the gym where Drake, Iris, Jennifer, and Doctor Therman are waiting.
"What are you doing here, Doc?" Rocky asks.
Doctor Therman shakes a clipboard in the air. "Everything you do has to be noted, Mr. *****. Your anomalous abilities are still under review. and the 05's are very upset you yet to have an official file on record."
Rocky smiles. "Well, you are on the correct path to getting what they want."
Doctor Therman looks at him annoyed. "I am glad you find so much joy in my looming deadline. However, I doubt you will be pleased if they replace me as your researcher."
Rocky shakes his head. "They will not do that."
Doctor Therman crosses her arms. "How can you be so sure?"
Rocky chuckles. "The less they know, the more I have to use against them. If they replaced you I would refuse to answer questions and break out every chance I got. They already know this, so they are appeasing me by leaving you assigned to this task."
"I doubt making threats will really yield the results you wish for." Doctor Therman rebuts.
Rocky shugs. "Did I make any threats just now? It is just a fact that I am cooperative and unwilling to remain locked up."
"Yeah.. making trouble whenever you don't get your way." Sasha adds. "I still remember when you kicked off that door and woke me up. I was having a nice dream too."
Rocky smiles at her. "What.. about Clef?!"
Sasha shoves him. "Shut up!"
Drake slowly approaches Sasha, walking around her, and examining her form. "Your friend here has no body heat, but her outline is still visible to me." He looks at Sasha's face. "What are you?"
Sasha steps back. "My name is Sasha, and you are getting too close."
"I asked what you are not who." Drake rebuts gruffly.
Sasha sighs. "I am the original SCP-173.."
Drake smiles. "Well, that explains the lack of body heat. Not sure if that is good, if I remember correctly you killed a lot of my friends."
Sasha steps away. "I don't want any trouble, dude."
Jennifer speaks up. "That was the old 173. Sasha is a dear friend of mine and we have spent many long hours alone talking. I assure you that at no time did I ever fear for my wellbeing."
"Likewise, she is one of the girls!" Iris adds.
Doctor Therman clears her throat. "All interviews conducted with the previous SCP-173-1, Sasha, have concluded she is passive to personnel, and she is currently under review for reclassification. Likewise, she recently, and personally I might add, terminated around two hundred 173 clones for their act of threatening the SCP Foundation."
"Actually, they were just defiant in general." Sasha adds, back up behind Rocky.
Drake shrugs. "I guess that is enough for me." He then turns to Rocky. "Ready?"
Rocky and Drake enter the boxing ring.
"Do you want me to lower my aura again?" Rocky asks.
Drake glances him over. "Actually, it seems a little weak today. Did something happen recently?"
Rocky chuckles nervously and then leans forward in a whispered voice. "Yeah.. my phase 3 got out."
"Is that a problem?" Drake asks.
Rocky leans closer. "If he got full control.. it would be worse than 682 breaking out."
Drake glances at him again. "Try meditation. You have to tame the beast within before your soul can be at peace."
Rocky leans back again. "Have you ever had that problem?"
Drake smiles. "Oh yes. We all have a spirit animal that attempts to take control when we are vulnerable. The sooner you come to peace with it the better off you will be."
"Like.. how did it affect you? Isn't your ability just thermal sight?!" Rocky asks, getting into a fighting stance.
Drake does the same with a smile. "One thing about a dragon, never take him at face value."
Drake then slides forward and hits Rocky with a double open palm strike to the chest. Rocky hits the ropes five feet behind him and falls to the floor.
"Holy.. shit!" Rocky coughs.
Drake again takes a readied stance. "A dragon is many things: loyal, strong, wise, but he can often be a lier, greedy, and bloodthirsty."
Rocky rises back to his feet, clutching his side. "Are you naturally that strong or is that part of your anomalous ability?"
Drake grins. "You can figure that out for yourself."
Rocky's eyes turn grey and he lets go of his side breathing calmer. "I will test my theory."
"This must be that famous phase 2 I have heard about. Must be what helped you heal that rib I broke." Drake says glancing him over.
Rocky stares straight at Drake as his aura slowly closes around behind Drake. Before the aura can completely surround him, Drake charges forward and slides around behind Rocky.
"Did you forget that I can see your aura?" Drake growls as he throws a kick.
The kick meets Rocky's aura. Arms start after Drake, but he dodges and climbs over each one.
To the others, at times, it seemed like Drake was flying or simply floating in the air.
For a brief moment, Jennifer imagines a dragon and a wolf dancing playfully together. She smiles gently at the idea.
"Is this going to be a standstill match?" Doctor Therman sighs.
Iris laughs. "They are not fighting for real. This is more of a 'testing their limits' thing, seeing how far one can let go with the other."
Sasha watches their movements closely, remembering all the times her dad had practiced martial arts with her, so she would know how to defend herself.
The match continues for two more hours with neither Drake nor Rocky able to land a hit on the other.
Finally, Drake holds up his hand. "That is enough for today. Your aura is too weak to continue."
Rocky's eyes return to blue. "So you suggested meditation. How exactly does that work?"
Drake thinks of how to describe it. "Clear your mind, control your breathing, and focus on the solution to your problem. You must become one with your other phases, division is your enemy. As a wise man once said, 'A house divided against itself can not stand, but a house made strong through trials and error will learn and grow stronger.'"
"Are you some Chinese philosopher?" Sasha asks sarcastically. Drake shakes his head. "I used to be a monk, but they couldn't shut me up so they threw me out."
"Are you serious?" Sasha asks then turning to Iris and Doctor Therman. "Is he serious?!"
Iris shrugs.
Doctor Therman sighs. "Every time we ask him about his origin the answers are always different. Last week he was in a traveling circus act that went wrong."
"OH! So you are just a pathological liar!!" Sasha exclaims.
"Like someone else I know." Doctor Therman mutters.
"The wise hear the lies and can discern the truth, the unwise believe everything I say." Drake grins before walking off.
Sasha looks at Rocky confused.
"Everything he says is a test to see if the people around him are truly listening." Rocky says with a sigh.
Iris shrugs. "I just ignore the backstories and pay more attention to what he does."
Doctor Therman finishes up her notes. "I will see you all next time. Today I have a meeting with Dr. Bright. Apparently, he has a 'special assignment' he wishes to be completed."
"Oh.. good! More hoops to jump through!" Rocky says sarcastically, as he exits the ring.
"You shut your mouth!" Doctor Therman exclaims. "If it wasn't for Dr. Bright you might have already been on ice from day one! That SCP-914 incident is still under investigation, and I am praying it had nothing to do with you!"
Rocky shrugs. "Maybe 303 wanted a shiner flute."
Doctor Therman grits her teeth before turning and walking away.
"Do you have to be so mean to her?" Jennifer asks.
"Nah. I am just giving her a hard time. Honestly, if she tried to transfer I would force her to come back." Rocky grins.
Elsewhere, in the lower halls, Claudia walks, unclothed, towards Drake. As they begin to pass each other Claudia reaches out her hand to touch his face, but Drake catches it.
"So you can see me!" Claudia says happily.
"What do you want?" Drake asks.
Claudia retracts her arm. "I am SCP-347, the invisible woman. I need your help to save Rocky from Dr. Clef."