[Undisclosed location]
Natasha had only just finished up the mission concerning SCP-096, and oh boy, had Fury not been satisfied with the way they had handled the situation on their end.
Thankfully, the Foundation had given her enough excuses that it hadn't been too big a deal. Even then, normally, she would have wanted to lay low for a bit, doing as little as possible that might draw more attention to her.
Yet, she still had those two important missions issued by the Foundation, which meant she couldn't take that approach, not when she had a potential lead.
So here she was, climbing a mountain to investigate a possible secret Shield facility. It was completely off the books and was suspected to be one of Fury's little secrets. They knew almost nothing about it.
They had been able to narrow it down to likely be very small, so the likelihood of it being either a small place to store secret items or information or a personal safehouse for Fury was high. Which meant that it was possible there might be some clues to be found there.
It wasn't like the Foundation didn't offer her any support; she had been given a decoy, someone who would ensure that Shield was tracking her location somewhere else, where she was supposed to be.
But other than that, they had really left her on her own for this investigation. Something she wasn't entirely happy about but could do nothing about either. So here she was, climbing a mountain on her own.
At least she could enjoy some fresh air and a good view while out here.
Natasha hadn't expected much from this trip. At least, she had thought she might have to deal with some complicating locks and security measures; such things were to be expected from Fury.
Which was why she was taken so off guard that she nearly slipped and fell when a massive dragon suddenly flew overhead!
Natasha immediately dug herself into the side of the mountain, hiding her body as best she could. She quickly took out her Foundation-issued phone and made an emergency call.
The call connected almost instantly. "Connected!" was all that was said. The Foundation didn't waste time asking questions—just a single word to let the agent know the call had connected and someone was there and listening.
"There is a dragon or a dragon-like creature flying around my position; it is definitely not a normal earth creature!" Natasha quickly reported what she knew, which was next to nothing, but it got the message across.
"Risk of discovery?" The far more urgent reply came back.
"It's fairly remote out here, I doubt there are many people around, but it's big, bound to get caught on some device sooner or later." Natasha replied.
There was a small pause; no doubt, the person on the other side of the call was sending on the information. "Please ensure your own safety for now and stand by for further instructions; an MTF is being dispatched to your current location at once."
Natasha wasn't able to move around much, so she decided to climb up to a better location since she was far closer to the top than the base of the mountain at this point.
It didn't take long before the person on the other side of the call was once again ready to give her more information. "Agent Romanoff, I can see a SCP-3844 in the files; it's a dragon, and it's rather friendly. The physical description of 3844 is scales of a purple hue, except around the stomach where it's much lighter. Can you confirm this?"
Natasha told him to wait a bit and continued to climb up until she reached a good position, a large ledge at the side of the mountain where she could bring out some long range binoculars so she could take a closer look at the dragon flying around.
The dragon circled above, its scales catching the light and shimmering in hues of purple. Natasha could see the lighter color on its underbelly as it turned in the air. She quickly relayed this information back to the Foundation.
"Confirmed," Natasha said. "It's purple with a lighter underbelly. What else can you tell me about SCP-3844?"
The voice on the other end of the call responded, "SCP-3844, also known as 'Tharnock,' has been known to exhibit friendly behavior towards humans. Its listed as Euclid, and parts of the containment efforts is to give him people to talk with."
Natasha breathed a slight sigh of relief, though she remained cautious. Friendly or not, a dragon was still a dragon, and its mere presence posed significant risks. "Understood. I'll maintain my position and keep an eye on it."
"Good. The MTF should be there within thirty minutes. Stay safe, Agent Romanoff."
The call ended, and Natasha kept her eyes on the dragon, marveling at its grace and power. Despite the danger, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. As she watched, the dragon seemed to notice her and started to descend towards the ledge.
Natasha's instincts kicked in, and she pressed herself against the rock wall, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. The dragon landed a short distance away, its massive form dwarfing her. It sniffed the air, then turned its head towards her, curious.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Natasha could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but she kept her breathing steady. The dragon took a step closer, its eyes fixed on her. It didn't seem aggressive, just inquisitive.
"Easy there, Tharnock," Natasha muttered under her breath. "I'm not here to hurt you."
"You know my name." The dragon stated, shocking Natasha, who hadn't been informed that the dragon could talk. However, as she thought about it, she should have realized that. After all, why else would it want people to talk with.
"Then you must belong to those people, the ones fighting the great war." The dragon continued as it stared at her.
Natasha took a cautious step forward. "Great war? What do you mean?"
However, before Tharnock even had a chance to respond to another person, one forged from the darkest darkness, seemed to materialize out of thin air. "The war to secure, contain and to protect, the war which is ever ongoing."
Alexander, O5-1, appeared after being informed about the situation. Since Natasha was someone, he had invested a lot in so far, he hoped to get a lot of use out of it. He decided to make an appearance quickly and take control of the situation.
"indeed, that war." The great dragon spoke as it took in the strange appearance that was Alexander in his O5 protective suit.
Natasha, too, was surprised to see O5-1 appear there; after all, his protection was something taken very seriously, so for him to appear here was nearly unthinkable. "O5-1 sir!?"
"I have looked forward to meeting you Tharnock, after all it isn't everyday one gets a chance to speak with a dragon."
Tharnock regarded Alexander with a mixture of curiosity and respect. "You are one of the leaders of this great war, I presume?"
"Yes," Alexander replied. "I am one of those tasked with ensuring that the world remains safe from anomalies that could threaten our existence. The people to have talked to so far, they all worked for me."
The great dragon nodded his head; he had heard a little about the people fighting in the war; they didn't like sharing information around, something he didn't mind much; he understood the importance of knowledge.
Tharnock nodded slowly. "I have sensed the movements of your kind. You are diligent and relentless. It is a noble cause."
Alexander inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "We do what we must to protect humanity. Now, I imagine that you have questions, so let's see if I can't answer a few of them."
Alexander let Natasha be sidelined. She didn't know about the past interactions and relationship with SCP-3844 and, as such, was a liability in this situation.
Plus, Alexander did want to speak with a dragon, it was something every warrior back in his time desired, to face a dragon and slay it in combat. Now, he was not a simple warrior anymore, or even a king, and as such he felt no desire to fight.
He was happy enough to just talk with the beast, to satisfy this childish fantasy of his, and a desire that was still felt from the Alex persona he had fused with. Overall, it was both a fine tactical decision, and it was something he wanted.
And so, he and the dragon began talking; Tharnock was naturally confused as to how he had suddenly appeared back outside in the free after living inside the containment cell the Foundation had built for him.
This was well within Alexanders expectations and so he tried to explain things in a way that wouldn't reveal any sensitive information but still reassure the dragon. After all, if Tharnock decided that being contained wasn't for him, the costs of capturing and containing him wouldn't be cheap.
So, the Foundation, and Alexander as well were willing to be somewhat accommodating to his needs and requests, just as they were with all cooperating SCP objects.
Natasha stood by the side, not really sure what to think or do. She was half tempted to join the conversation, after all how often does one get to talk with a living freaking dragon? But With O5-1 here, she wasn't willing to disturb their conversation.
So she just stood by in awe and nervousness, fearing that something might happened to O5-1, who was the person within the Foundation's high command that valued her. Making him someone important for her own future.
As Alexander and Tharnock continued their conversation, Natasha remained vigilant, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of danger or unexpected visitors. The Foundation had sent an MTF team, but she knew that even with their arrival, the situation could still take a turn for the worse.
As they continued to talk, the sound of helicopter blades grew louder in the distance. Natasha's hand instinctively moved to her sidearm, but she relaxed slightly as she recognized the distinct markings of the Foundation's MTF team.
The helicopter landed on a nearby flat area, and a team of heavily armed and armored agents disembarked, moving with precision and purpose. The team leader seemed surprised to see someone other than Romanoff there, and when he realized who it was, he seemed downright terrified.
Yet, before he was given a chance to speak. Alexander spoke up. "I will leave everything in your hands from here on out, you deal with Tharnock and ensure new containment measures or set in place. And Romanoff, you are here for something else, continue with that."
With those words, he just disappeared into thin air much like how he had appeared in the first place.
Natasha stood there for a moment, trying to process everything that had just happened. The abrupt appearance and disappearance of O5-1, the presence of a dragon, and the arrival of the MTF team—all of it was surreal. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.
The MTF team leader approached her, still looking slightly shaken. "Agent Romanoff, what's the situation here?"
Natasha glanced at Tharnock, who was observing the new arrivals with a calm curiosity. "The dragon, Tharnock, is cooperative. O5-1 has tasked you with handling his containment and ensuring his needs are met. I have another mission to continue."
The team leader nodded, his professionalism taking over. "Understood. We'll take it from here."
Natasha gave Tharnock a nod. "Stay safe, Tharnock. These people will take good care of you."
Tharnock responded with a slow nod of his own. "Thank you, Natasha. Safe travels in your quest."
With that, Natasha turned and began her climb back up the mountain, her mind already shifting to the next task at hand. She needed to locate the possible secret SHIELD facility and uncover whatever secrets Fury might be hiding there.
A/N
If you want to read up to 10 chapters ahead or even get the chance to pick what SCPs get summoned, or just support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / SCPsystem