Rocky and Sasha head down the hall towards briefing room 21.
"So he is down here?" Rocky asks.
Sasha nods. "He said he would be in a meeting."
Once at the briefing room, Sasha knocks.
"Come in." Dr. Clef says.
Sasha enters followed by Rocky. Dr. Clef is sitting across from Dr. Bright. Instantly Dr. Clef and Rocky lock eyes. Rocky instantly remembers the file he had read on Dr. Clef, most importantly that any anomalous abilities do not work on him, and he has three eyes, likely the third hidden by his hat.
Rocky smiles. "Good afternoon, Dr. Clef."
Dr. Clef looks puzzled at him. "Have we met before?"
Rocky nods. "You were my instructor when I joined the SCP Foundation."
"Oh right.. You were a lot skinnier then." Dr. Clef replies, staring off into space.
Sasha hands Dr. Clef the letter. "A letter for you!"
Dr. Clef opens the letter, and from Rocky's point of view, it reads, "I forgive you. Be safe.. please."
Dr. Clef smiles and quickly puts it in his coat. "I assume she would like to spend more time with you?" Dr. Clef asks Sasha.
Sasha nods. "I think we will get along very well."
"Good." Dr. Clef replies.
"Mr. *****, you are early." Dr. Bright comments.
Dr. Clef shrugs. "I figured if Sasha was bringing me a letter back that he would tag along."
"I guess I could have waited outside.." Rocky comments disappointedly.
Dr. Bright sighs. "Well.. you are here now. Sit."
Rocky, although not pleased with his tone, does as the site director requests.
Dr. Bright pulls a file from beneath the table and opens it. "Your mission is to take no longer than two weeks, ending in the termination of all targets. Is that clear?"
Rocky nods, looking questioningly at Dr. Clef.
Dr. Clef sighs. "Jack, you are starting in the middle again. Please brief our friend here properly."
Dr. Bright glances at Sasha, who is still standing. "Young lady, I recall requesting you to be seated."
Sasha looks surprised. "I'm sorry.. I thought you were speaking to Rocky."
Dr. Bright pushes up his glasses with a sigh. "I was addressing both of you."
Sasha hurries to a chair and sits.
Dr. Clef smiles. "He is bad with context, just give him a minute."
Dr. Bright looks over the file for a moment and then sits straighter.
"There he is." Dr. Clef comments.
"Mr. ***** and companion, your mission is to infiltrate a cultist ceremony being held in Ireland and meant to summon the Scarlet King's army. We have an informant embedded in the cult, he is instructed to disrobe once you enter to avoid being killed. However, should he actually be terminated is no consequence to me or the 05 council."
Dr. Clef mouths along as Dr. Bright reads from the file.
"You are to enter with extreme haste and terminate any and all cultists in your attempt to disrupt the ceremony and (or) rescue the hostages, a woman and her four children. Your team will consist of yourself, your companion, Cain, and Dr, Clef." Dr. Bright looks up as Dr. Clef abruptly stops mouthing along. "Any questions?"
"When do we leave?" Rocky asks.
Dr. Bright smiles slightly. "Eager.. I used to be like that."
"Speak for yourself, Jack. My finger has an itch I can't scratch." Dr. Clef chuckles.
"Well.. we can not all be underlying sociopaths." Dr. Bright groans.
"Likewise, we can't all be cynical immortals." Dr. Clef rebuts.
Br. Bright ignores this, continuing his previous thought. "Bright and early in the morning. If there is nothing else, please see Iris for your gear."
Rocky and Sasha rise and head out of the room, Sasha stopping for a moment to wave to Dr. Clef as she leaves.
Once gone, Dr. Clef looks sharply at Dr. Bright. "Back to the previous topic.. I want to see my daughter, Jack!"
Dr. Bright adjusts his glasses and glares back. "No."
Dr. Clef quickly stands and points a handgun at Dr. Bright. "I WILL be seeing my daughter, Jack, even if I have to go through all of you to get to her!!"
Dr. Bright's expression does not change. "If that method had worked for me I would say pull the trigger, however, we both know how this ends. You get mad, point a gun at me, possibly go on a rampage, get nowhere or simply bored, and go back to sucking on a bottle of whiskey."
Dr. Clef's eyes narrow. "Jack, she is MY daughter! I want to see her! Why would you reject my request?!"
"For the same reason, my sister will never be freed from this place. I believe they told my father, 'she has not now and likewise never been your daughter.' She is an anomalous princess of nature, an SCP, and nothing else." Dr. Bright's head tilts slightly to the right with a bored expression. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"
Dr. Clef slams his pistol against the table. "'All of a sudden'?! Do you ever wonder who wrote her containment protocol? Who ordered that any man who became enthralled by her was to be terminated?! News flash, it was me! I have done everything I could to make her life here comfortable and safe!"
Dr. Bright chuckles. "Oh to the protective father in his attempt to protect his daughter's chastity!"
Dr. Clef quickly holsters his handgun and advances on Dr. Bright, slapping him across the face. Dr. Clef's hat falls to the floor as Dr. Bright's glasses do the same. "YOU SHUT YOUR GOD DAMN MOUTH!! Just because family no longer means more to you than your own death does not mean we all feel the same!!"
Dr. Bright looks up in surprise at Dr. Clef's furious expression. He then lightly chuckles with a shrug. "Well.. I guess that is one way of knowing you are not lying.."
Dr. Clef grabs him by his shirt, pulling him out of his chair. "Stop your stupid bullshit tests and give me a straight answer!"
Dr. Bright brushes his hands off, falling back into the chair, then backward into the floor. Dr. Bright then crosses his arms and legs thoughtfully. "Three months. Give it three months to ensure the threat is naturalized. After that time, I will open her door for you myself."
Dr. Clef rears back his foot to kick Dr. Bright but stops. "You will open the door yourself?"
Dr. Bright reaches over, retrieves his glasses, and puts them back on with an annoyed expression. "That is what I said."
Dr. Clef grabs his arms and picks him up in a hug.
Dr. Bright adjusts his glasses. "Is this your attempt at breaking my ribs, Alto?"
Dr. Clef let's go. "No, dumbass! It is called a hug, or have you forgot what affection feels like?!"
"I suppose I have.." Dr. Bright says monotoned.
Dr. Clef reaches down and collects his hat.
"Oh and by the way..." Dr. Bright quickly slams his fist against the back of Dr. Clef's head. "Don't you dare lecture me about family you walking contradiction!"
Dr. Clef stands straight with a wide smile. "If you had accused me of being normal I might actually have killed you." He then turns and leaves the room.
Dr. Bright stands there blankly for a moment before snapping his fingers once in a swift motion. "Darn.. missed another chance again.."
On their way to level 3, Rocky and Sasha meet up with Cain and inform him of the mission. Continuing on, the topic of conversation takes a turn.
"I feel like this is overkill." Cain comments.
"Could be worse, they could have sent 682 and 4715 out. THAT would have been overkill!" Rocky rebuts.
"Like those two wouldn't just end up fighting each other till hell froze over.." Cain sighs.
Once they reach the armory, an agreement issues between Iris, Rocky, and Cain about the mandatory firearms for the mission.
"Look, I don't make the rules, Dr. Clef and Dr. Bright did!! Go take it up with them!! Meanwhile, you are taking these firearms." Iris exclaims angrily.
"I.. don't like guns." Cain replies.
"Why would I even need one!!" Rocky argues back.
Sasha points her handgun wildly around at Rocky and Cain. "Freeze, dirtbags!" She exclaims playfully.
"Watch where you are pointing that!" Cain shouts nervously at her.
Sasha lowers the gun and puts her hand on her hip. "So what?! It is not like I would hurt either of you!"
Iris shoves a handgun each into Rocky and Cain's hands. "Take these or I will shove them up your asses!!" She growls.
Cain quickly drops his. "Ahh! I'm a pacifist, damn it!"
Dr. Clef strolls up, out of nowhere, and picks up the firearm. "Good, you will make a perfect human shield."
"That isn't funny, sir.." Cain lightly sobs.
Dr. Clef then proceeds to enter the armory and pack three large backs full of various equipment.
"Now, carry these to the helicopter." Dr. Clef orders.