Even though they had been given an hour, none of them had much to do, except the three members of Alpha-1, who quickly disappeared off to somewhere inside the forbidden depths of the command center, likely to report something to their boss.
Steve, Peggy, Bucky, Bruce, and Lena exchanged glances, each processing the situation in their own way. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, the weight of what they were about to do pressing down on them.
"Seems like we're always waiting," Bucky muttered, leaning against a wall, arms crossed. "Waiting for the next mission, the next fight."
Steve, ever the leader, tried to lighten the mood. "It's the calm before the storm, Buck. Gives us time to think, to plan."
Peggy, who had been quietly observing the command center's activity, spoke up. "Or to second-guess ourselves," she said with a wry smile. "But we're ready. We've faced worse."
Lena, less accustomed to the waiting game that came with these kinds of missions, was fidgeting slightly, her mind racing with the possibilities of what they might find. "I wonder what kind of anomalies we'll encounter," she mused aloud. "A whole new world... the scientific implications alone are staggering."
Bruce nodded, sharing her curiosity but also her unease. "Let's just hope it's something we can handle. The Foundation has seen things that defy explanation, and not all of them end well."
The group fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their thoughts. The minutes ticked by slowly, the hum of the command center's operations the only sound breaking the quiet.
Finally, the hour was nearly up. The Captain and his Alpha-1 team reappeared, their expressions unreadable behind their helmets. Whatever they had been discussing, it was clear that they were now fully focused on the mission ahead.
"It's time," the Captain announced, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "We move out in five."
…
As they entered into one of those fancy jets once again, everyone was suddenly hit with the realization that the Foundation had somehow transported all this, including a large jet, through that small cave. Something that very much should have been entirely impossible.
They didn't know about the marvel that was the Pym particle, nor did they know that even without it, the Foundation would have been able to handle the problem without much issue, something they had done back in the original SCP universe.
After all, once you have thousands of SCP objects in containment, there really isn't much you can't do. Sure, a lot of them are trying to constantly kill you, but the rest are either useless or highly useful.
Steve couldn't help but marvel at it. "How in the world did they get all this through that cave?" he wondered aloud, shaking his head.
Peggy, always the strategist, was also puzzled. "This kind of logistical feat... it's beyond anything I've ever seen."
Lena, her scientific mind whirling, tried to make sense of it. "There's no way conventional technology could achieve this. It has to be something more... advanced or abnormal."
Yet the Captain didn't bother to answer the question. Maybe he himself wasn't even aware of those logistic things. After all, as a member of Alpha-1, something like that was hardly enough to catch his attention.
With one of the members of Alpha-1 acting as the pilot and the jet stocked with supplies and equipment, they took off toward their first stop, the ruined city the closest to the portal and the only city they had visited so far.
Even though they had already done a few expeditions to the city and gathered much from it already, it had still been decided that it should be their first stop, the first place to give the new people joining this mission a chance to familiarize themselves with the world before fulling heading into the unknown.
As they approached the ruined city, the mood in the jet grew more tense. The once-great metropolis was now a shadow of its former self, with crumbling buildings and streets overtaken by nature. It was a haunting sight, a vision of what could befall their own world if they weren't careful.
The jet circled the city once before descending to a makeshift landing zone on the outskirts. The landing was smooth, and as the jet powered down, the team began to gather their gear, preparing to disembark.
The Captain was the first to step out, his mechanical suit all primed for action. "Alright, for this outing I'm going to take a backseat, unless something goes wrong or something unexpected happens you will be mostly operating on your own, show me what you all got."
With a nod Steve took the lead, his shield secured on his back, followed closely by Peggy and Bucky, with Bruce and Lena bringing up the rear. The ruined city loomed ahead of them, a silent, eerie reminder of what once was. As they moved into the city, the sound of their footsteps echoed off the dilapidated buildings, the only noise in the otherwise still environment.
Peggy's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, noting the overgrown vegetation and the way nature had started to reclaim the concrete jungle. "It's like time stopped here," she murmured. "Whatever happened, it was sudden and catastrophic."
Lena's scientific curiosity was piqued as she observed the flora that had taken root in the cracks and crevices of the city. "The way the environment is adapting is fascinating. I'd love to take some samples."
"Let's not get too distracted," Steve cautioned, though his tone was gentle. "We're here to assess the situation first."
Bucky, ever vigilant, kept his rifle at the ready, his gaze sweeping over the ruins. "I've got a bad feeling about this place. It's too quiet."
Bruce, his nerves evident, nodded in agreement. "Let's stick together. We don't know what might be lurking around the next corner."
All around them, they could see traces of recent movements and battles. Clearly, the Foundation had already been here a few times, and that had taken care of most, if not all, of the robots here already.
As they moved deeper into the city, the eerie silence was only broken by the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional creak of collapsing structures. The atmosphere was thick with the remnants of past violence, and the sense that something could happen at any moment kept everyone on edge.
Peggy continued scanning their surroundings, her hand resting on her weapon as she took in the details of their environment. "Whatever was here, it's been dealt with—at least for now," she observed. "But I can't shake the feeling that we're not alone."
To his words, Lena nodded eagerly. "That's because we aren't alone; all around us are the new inhabitants of this city, the animals that are starting to reclaim it together with nature." She said, and true enough, all around them were animals, cats in particular were plentiful.
Steve paused for a moment, glancing around as he finally noticed the subtle movement in the shadows—small creatures darting through the overgrowth, their eyes reflecting the dim light filtering through the broken windows and crumbling walls. "You're right," he said quietly, watching a cat slink through the rubble. "But that doesn't mean we can let our guard down."
Peggy knelt down to examine one of the cats, noting its thin frame and wild demeanor. "They've probably been fending for themselves for a long time. No sign of any human life, just these survivors."
Lena, who had taken a small scanner from her pack, moved closer to the animals. "Its fascinating to see how nature is able to thrive once humanity is gone, how the animals that once lived in our shadow acts without us."
Bucky kept his focus on the surrounding area, his instincts honed from years of combat. "Whatever drove the people out of here must have been quick. But if the Foundation already cleared out most of the robots, we should be able to find out what happened without too much trouble."
Bruce, who had been scanning the buildings for any signs of danger, turned to the group. "Let's make sure we don't split up. Even if the area seems secure, we're still in unknown territory."
The team continued to move cautiously through the city, their senses heightened as they navigated the narrow streets and broken pathways. Occasionally, they would hear the distant sound of metal clanging or the eerie whisper of the wind through the empty structures, but nothing materialized to challenge them.
As they approached what appeared to be the center of the city, they found a large, partially collapsed skyscraper. Its towering frame leaned precariously, casting long shadows over the surrounding area. The building had once been a hub of activity, but now it was a silent monument to whatever calamity had struck this place.
"This must have been one of the major buildings in the city," Steve said, staring up at the structure. "If there are any answers to be found, they might be in there."
Peggy nodded in agreement, though her expression was cautious. "It's risky. The building could collapse at any moment, and who knows what's waiting inside."
Lena, however, was eager to explore. "We might find records, data, something that could tell us more about what happened here. If it's unstable, we'll just have to be careful."
Bruce hesitated, glancing at the Captain, who had been quietly observing their progress. "Do we have any intel on this building? Did the Foundation scout it already?"
The Captain, still standing back, replied through the comms in his suit. "The building has been partially explored, but it was deemed too dangerous for further investigation at the time. And that it was unlikely we would get anything of importance from it past what we already got."
Steve considered the Captain's words, weighing the risks against the potential rewards. "If it was deemed too dangerous, maybe we should focus on other areas," he suggested, his protective instincts kicking in.
Peggy, ever the pragmatist, nodded in agreement. "We need to be smart about this. We can gather plenty of intel from safer locations. Let's not take unnecessary risks, especially with so many unknowns."
Lena looked disappointed but understood the reasoning. "You're right. There might be safer places to investigate first. Maybe we can revisit this building later if we need more answers."
Bruce, who had been studying the building's structural integrity, added, "It's definitely unstable. A single wrong move could bring the whole thing down. Let's explore the surrounding area first and see what else we can find."
The group decided to bypass the skyscraper, instead continuing their exploration of the city. As they moved away from the towering structure, they noticed more signs of past conflicts—burned-out vehicles, broken glass, and the occasional remnants of makeshift barricades. It was clear that whatever had happened here had been chaotic and violent.