Due to the relatively large operation the Foundation was currently undertaking, all members of O5 had gathered together at SITE-001. And Alexander, O5-1 was naturally not excluded from this.
It meant that he wasn't able to relax by the pool, but didn't stop him from doing his work, and as the person in charge of the invasion of Wakanda, he had plenty of work that needed doing.
Everyone was keeping a close eye on everything that was happening in the war, not wanting to take any risks.
So far, they were letting their army swarm the place, bringing forth the full might of the Foundation, a might that the new technology had greatly increased from the Marvel universe.
One hundred thousand trained men and women, all equipped with special weapons and exosuits, made up this force unrivaled on earth, likely able to handle the task of full world conquest if needed.
However, gathering such a force wasn't easy, even more so since the Foundation was greatly diminished; they had more or less had to pull more than half of all combat personnel away from their assigned SITEs.
They could only afford to do this because most SITEs still do not have any SCP objects in containment.
And even though the avenge power of the combat personnel had increased massively, there was not much value in that.
Sure, it was impressive in this case, but it wasn't often that the Foundation went to war like this. Mostly, their missions only took a handful of agents, and they rarely had the luxury of showing off such impressive tech.
Not to mention that many of the true threats couldn't care less about an exosuit. Those were threats that would kill you from within or were simply strong enough to rip most metals into scrap.
But overall, it was a welcome increase, even if it wouldn't do much in places where it would really be needed, after all, most it did was reduce the amount of lives they had to throw at problems.
And for the Foundation, the price of lives was next to nothing.
Still, even with all the military power on display, the rest of the world remained unaware of what was going on. Even Shield was blinded by the efforts of a few spies and some distractions. A few assassinations of some notable people were more than enough to keep them busy.
Not to mention all the other things happening.
Not to say that the Foundation wasn't ready to forgo stealth and rain nuclear death down on Wakanda if the place was found to be crawling with SCP objects or for some other reason was too dangerous.
However, the fact that SCP-499 was located made such a tactic far less usable, since SCP-499 couldn't be risked at all, though if he were at risk, the Foundation wouldn't hesitate to rain down nuclear death onto the rest of Wakanda.
The current hope was the once every person from Wakanda was killed, they would be able to repair the hologram and hide the nation, turning it into another stronghold for the Foundation, O5-5 in particular was eager to claim it as her own.
And while Alexander wasn't eager to hand over such a powerful resource like that over to anyone else, he also knew that it wouldn't be easy to claim it for his own, and O5-5 did have her support on the council.
She would likely delay things until the point she could secure herself a majority before finally pushing things through, claiming the nation as her own.
There was no chance she could claim the Vibranium or the tech, but the place itself, there were few good reasons to deny her, and saying that he wanted it for himself didn't count as a good reason.
It was likely that the place would hold the containment for SCP-499, since moving him and his sunstone was difficult, and he had an entire village as well, one that very much wouldn't be killed this time around.
While the Marvel universe had a few more hopes for bringing the dead back to life, some Alexander was even working on getting a hold on, such as the dragon skeleton hidden under New York, which the Hand was busy digging for.
That didn't fully translate to a willingness to use it, which meant that they should avoid a situation where it was needed.
Securing SCP-499 had already made this entire mission more than worth it, and it would ensure that those of the council who weren't fully sold on the invasion would finally relent and accept that it was the right decision.
Personally, Alexander enjoyed seeing the fight between Napoleon and the Black Panther. Sure, it was horribly one sided, but it was still a fight with some of the heroes of Marvel.
As Alexander observed the grand war room at SITE-001, the screens captured every detail of the unfolding conflict. The live feed showing Napoleon's effortless dominance over T'Challa and T'Chaka drew his attention more than anything else. It was fascinating, watching one of history's most renowned conquerors clashing with legends of the Marvel universe, and even more so seeing Napoleon prove himself as a formidable force.
O5-2, Julius Caesar, stood beside Alexander, quietly observing. Unlike most of the O5 Council members, who seemed anxious or apprehensive about the operation, Julius appeared at ease, almost enjoying the display of power. The two men had a history that spanned centuries, and their shared ambition and military mindset often aligned them on many decisions.
"I see our friend is having quite the duel," Julius commented with a faint smile, his eyes locked on the screen showing Napoleon striking T'Challa with a force that sent him crashing into the ground. "He always did have a flair for dramatics."
Alexander smirked, not taking his eyes off the battle. "It's effective, though. Wakanda's greatest warriors, their kings, reduced to mere playthings in front of him. It sends a message."
"It does," Julius agreed, his expression growing thoughtful. "But there won't be anyone left alive to remember it soon enough, Yet I guess there is little harm in letting him play around; those fools have no chance against your favorite."
Alexander nodded, there was indeed no chance of Nepoleon getting hurt, he had plenty of cards up his sleeve. Alexander had granted him much, or rather, the former Emperor had earned much since joining the Foundation.
As they continued to watch, Julius' expression shifted to one of curiosity. "Do you ever wonder what might have happened if the world had seen the full potential of Wakanda sooner? If they had chosen to stand in the light rather than hiding in the shadows?"
"Perhaps," Alexander replied thoughtfully. "But that's the nature of power, isn't it? It's either hidden and hoarded or wielded openly until it attracts attention from the wrong people. Wakanda chose isolation and paid the price. Now, they will be absorbed into something far greater."
"Such is the fate of every empire," Julius said, a hint of nostalgia coloring his tone. "They rise, they fall, and they are swallowed by the sands of time. And we—" he gestured to the screens and the sprawling might of the Foundation's army—"we are the ones who ensure that history remains ours to write."
Alexander offered a small smile. "To learn from history is important, we all have seen the fate of great empires and kingdoms, one day, one day we might be able to put everything we have learned to use."
Their eyes met, and for a moment, there was an unspoken understanding between them. "One can always hope." O5-2 said before once more growing quiet, not to watch the fight unfold, but due to the sudden message displayed on the screen.
The message flashing on the screen read: "SCP-963 Confirmed – Dr. Jack Bright Detected in Wakandan Territory."
A palpable tension filled the war room as the significance of the message registered with the O5 Council members. All conversations ceased, and every eye turned toward Alexander, O5-1, whose expression hardened into something cold and calculating.
"Jack Bright..." Julius Caesar, O5-2, murmured thoughtfully, his gaze sharpening. "I wasn't expecting to encounter him here. Interesting."
Alexander leaned forward, fingers moving swiftly across his console to access the latest reports. "Indeed, he is always an interesting person to have around… Well, he is a valuable asset, so having him around won't bring any harm, though if he had appeared earlier, we might have been able to use his unique skills."
It didn't take a genius to figure out how SCP-963 could be used in dealing with Wakanda. After all, it would allow Bright to take over the body of anyone wearing the amulet, meaning he was perfect for infiltration, more so since there was no danger if he was caught, he couldn't die, and the amulet couldn't be destroyed.
Though both of them had a fleeting hint of disappointment flash through their eyes hearing about Bright, the worth of SCP-963 was infinitely higher if it wasn't already bound with someone.
Even though a copy had been made, that was just one, and even the O5 council hadn't been able to decide what to do with that.
Leaving it locked up at SITE-001 and requiring the entire council to unlock it. That wasn't about to happen unless they could figure out who should have it, which they couldn't do.
Napoleon was also quickly informed of the situation, and the excitement all ended right there, the two Black panthers were killed without mercy, and the golden city fell into their hands. Now would begin the slow work of clearing out the rest of Wakanda, but that hardly required the members of O5 to deal with, meaning they could focus more on their more personal objectives.
A/N
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