– Catacombs, Paris, France - 3:00 PM –
Finn, Jeff, Spy, Moreau, and the rest of the MTF forces remained in the catacombs for a good twenty minutes after their skirmish with Carnage, trying to establish contact with any outpost in France, including Site-06-3 in the Lorraine region, using the radios on the foldable table before them. They also wondered if Nikolai and McQueen had reached Site-06-3 yet.
"Anything?" Finn asked.
"Still nothing on any frequency," an MTF soldier replied, adjusting the radios.
"Keep trying. The enemy won't find us here yet," Spy said.
"But if they do, we'll bail out through the walls using my zippers, simple as that," Jeff added. "I mean, It's not like there's anything in them."
Behind them, Moreau looked around the surroundings for a moment before his eyes spotted a crack in one of the walls. Upon a closer look, he noticed it was getting bigger, something clearly trying to break through.
"Jeff, I think you jinxed us," he said.
"The hell are you talking about?"
Moreau pointed to the crack, which was now rapidly expanding. Shortly after, it burst open, and two creatures the size of Jack Russells emerged.
These are the Chimera Reapers
[IMAGES]
"Nothing in the walls, huh?" Spy said to Jeff with a deadpan look.
Jeff sighed. "Don't start with me."
With a fearsome shriek, the Reapers pounced toward them, but Spy swiftly sliced them in half with a single swing of his sword, dropping them dead.
"The Chimera are here?!" Finn exclaimed.
"Those aliens from that really underrated PS3 game called Resistance: Fall of Man?" Jeff asked.
"Yes! And these things come in swarms or packs, which means..." Finn began, only to hear more cracking. "Oh no."
All around them, the walls, floor, and ceiling began to crack.
"Finn! Options?!" Spy asked loudly, facing the Scottish Stand.
"Just one. RUN!"
Immediately, everyone bolted down the catacomb corridors as the Reapers burst out of the cracks by the hundreds and started chasing after Finn and the group.
"I HATE BUGS!" Jeff shouted.
"Can't you make a zipper on any other wall?!" Finn asked him.
"And what if those are also filled with those things?!"
"...Good point."
"Moreau! Acid!" Spy shouted to the mutant.
Nodding his head, Moreau spewed a burst of acid from his mouth at the Reaper swarm, melting half of them, but more kept coming. They continued running away from the relentless swarm.
"Keep running!"
Soon enough, the group spotted a flight of stairs leading up. They sprinted up the steps and reached a gate, which would lead them out of the catacombs and into the streets. They quickly opened it, rushed through, and slammed it shut behind them as the Reapers tried to force it open with their sheer numbers.
"That won't hold," Spy said. "We need a vehicle."
Scanning their surroundings, they quickly spotted a bus. They all scrambled inside while one of the MTF soldiers hot-wired it, and Jeff took the wheel. Moments later, the Reapers broke through the gate and swarmed toward them.
"MOVE THIS MACHINE!" Spy shouted.
Jeff pressed the gas pedal hard, and the bus lurched forward, speeding down the street with the Reapers in hot pursuit. As the bus picked up speed, the Reapers fell behind, unable to keep up, thus the bus finally drove away, leaving the creatures far behind.
"Phew, we got away, mon amis," Spy said with relief.
"But we ditched the radios in the catacombs in a panic," the MTF soldier interjected. "Now we can't contact the outposts or Site-06-3."
"Yeah, and I swear to God if I see another bug, I'll lose it," Jeff added.
Thud!
Just then, a heavy thud echoed from the roof of the bus, as if something had landed on it.
"What was that?" Spy asked.
The roof above them suddenly peeled open, revealing a monstrous creature ripping it apart with its dangerous limbs. It had four large legs, multiple smaller ones, and was the size of the bus itself.
This creature was a Chimera Widowmaker.
[IMAGES]
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"RAAAAAARRRR!!"
"Actually, spiders are not bugs but actu—" Spy began to correct, but was cut short by Finn.
"JUST SHOOT IT!"
Immediately, everyone in the bus began shooting at the Widowmaker, but it blocked most of the shots with its legs and tried to stab them with the others. They quickly jumped out of the bus, narrowly evading the creature's limbs as it stabbed the seats instead, and soon the bus careened into a wall and crashed.
The Widowmaker, now dismounted from the bus, began to approach Finn and the rest as they scrambled to their feet.
"Yup, the nostalgia of the game is coming back to me," Finn remarked. "Forsaken is really trying to up this war."
All of a sudden, the roar of engines filled the air. They turned around to see a VTOL Osprey bearing the Global Occult Coalition emblem hovering above them. Now, both the Widowmaker and the aircraft blocked their paths from both sides.
"Well, ain't this a fine mess," Jeff muttered.
The next moment, one of the side doors of the Osprey swung open, revealing a woman with a striking appearance, from brown hair cascading down past her shoulders, one eye brown and the other concealed under an eye patch. She wore a crisp GOC uniform with a commanding presence exuding from her stance. Beside her stood over half a dozen GOC soldiers armed with light machine guns.
"FIRE ON THE BUG!"
The soldiers followed her order without hesitation, directing their fire towards the Widowmaker and unleashed a barrage of gunfire. The creature blocked most of the shots with its legs but was clearly struggling under the assault.
"I don't know what's happening, but the GOC isn't killing us for once," Spy remarked.
As the Osprey hovered closer to the ground, the woman gestured urgently for the group to board.
"Get in! That thing won't just walk away!"
"Spy?" Finn looked at the mercenary hesitantly.
Spy sighed heavily. "...Do what she says."
Without further hesitation, Finn and the others scrambled aboard the Osprey. But as they entered, the Widowmaker spat multiple white acid bubbles from its mouth. Two unfortunate GOC soldiers took direct hits to their faces, melting through their heads and killing them instantly.
"Damn it!" the woman shouted, then turned to the pilots. "Get this bird in the air!"
The pilots nodded grimly, and swiftly maneuvered the Osprey skyward. The Widowmaker lunged, attempting to grab hold, but the Osprey slipped from its grasp and soared away into the sky.
As it watched the Osprey escape, the Widowmaker let out a furious roar echoing through the streets.
———————————————
In the Osprey, the woman covered the bodies of the two fallen GOC soldiers with a cloth, and a solemn silence fell over the cabin as she and the remaining soldiers paid their respects to mourn them.
Meanwhile, Finn and Spy observed the scene in silence until Claire turned to address them.
"You have questions, don't you?"
"Yes. Who are you? And why isn't the GOC trying to kill us?" Spy asked with a sharp gaze.
"Like they always do," Finn added, mirroring Spy's skepticism.
"My name's Claire. I hold the rank of Lieutenant. I've had past dealings with the Foundation, assisting them in various unique scenarios."
(A/n: She's also a character from Newscapepro's Minecraft SCP roleplay. Again all characters belong to them. Not me.)
"And?" Spy pressed.
"Here," Claire replied, handing them a document, in which Finn and the others read the order from both the O5 Council and the 108 members of the GOC council, outlining a temporary alliance for the ongoing war situation and emphasizing the need for cooperation between both organizations.
"I don't believe this," Spy muttered.
"We've collaborated with the SCP Foundation on numerous occasions in the face of major threats, so no matter how much conflict and differences we had, we still worked together either way," Claire explained.
"Tell that to Rodeo, whom your organization scarred," Spy retorted with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
"I'm... well aware of that incident, and I regret the harm caused by my men," Claire acknowledged solemnly.
"Good for you I guess, we'll work with your organization... for now."
"But pull the backstabbing card on us," Finn said, cracking his knuckles threateningly, "We'll show you some true scars with these fists."
"You have my word. This alliance is temporary, as long as the conflict remains active," Claire assured them with a nod.
Afterwards, they settled into their seats, eyeing each other warily for any signs of deception.
"What are those things walking through the streets?" Moreau suddenly asked, peering out the window.
Curious, everyone looked out and saw five massive war machines traversing the city streets.
These machines belong to the Chimeras, known as the Goliaths.
[IMAGES]
"Not those things," Jeff muttered.
———————————————
On the ground, one of the Goliaths spotted the V-22 Osprey and activated its two weapon systems, which were the concussion mortars and Spyre missile launchers. It launched a barrage of missiles at the aircraft, which deftly deployed flares and maneuvered to avoid the incoming projectiles. The Osprey managed to escape the city's airspace, soaring high into the sky where the Goliath could no longer track them.
"YOU MISSED!"
Inside the Goliath, a Mangler smacked one of the Chimera soldiers manning the weapon systems alongside a Reich soldier.
"Why do most of us have stormtrooper levels of stupid accuracy?" the Mangler wondered as he let out a sigh.
"Really? Wunderbar."
Beside the Mangler, the Reich soldier seemed to be listening to the radio. After a moment, he looked at the Mangler
"Good news. The city is ours, and any remaining resistance from the Foundation has either retreated or been destroyed once we brought the Chimera in."
"Good, but don't let your guard down," the Mangler cautioned. "They will come back to this city. Tell everyone to set up posts and stations along the city limits and borders. Keep the Goliaths stationed around the city as well."
"Jawohl."
———————————————
Back on the GOC Osprey, Spy was attempting to use one of the radios to contact Nikolai and McQueen on a specific frequency, assisted by one of the MTF soldiers.
"You think they're alive?" Claire asked.
"I know them well. Nikolai is a tough lad, and with The Hand's powers, he won't go down easily," Finn said. "As for McQueen, with the power of Wheel of Fortune, he can adapt to any scenario. So aye, they're alive, alright."
At that moment, the radio Spy was testing suddenly crackled to life. To their relief, it was Nikolai.
[Hello? Is anyone responding to this frequency?] his voice came through.
"Yes, loud and clear, Nikolai. Where are you?" Spy responded.
[Spy?] Nikolai laughed over the radio. [The Fritz and the undead haven't killed you and the rest, it seems. Regarding your question, McQueen and I have entered the Lorraine region after stealthily getting through enemy forces and are heading for Site-06-3. What about you?]
"...We had no choice but to withdraw from the city," Spy answered gravely. "Apparently, the Forsaken have brought a third army into the war, the Chimera, as your friend Finn calls them."
[From that underrated game on the PS3, Resistance: Fall of Man? Ha! I have fond memories of it. But the Chimera are no pushovers, my friend. Finn will fill you in on what they are. Can you reach us at the moment?]
"We'll try. Keep your radio on this frequency, and we'll use it to track you. Just reach the site, and we'll regroup there."
[Da.]
The call ended, and the radio fell silent.
"He didn't mention us?" Claire asked.
"It's best we show him rather than tell him over the radio," Spy replied. "Now track this frequency so we can reach him."
"Got it," Claire said.
Standing up, Spy handed the radio to her. "Hope we can take an offensive soon."
———————————————
Meanwhile, Nikolai and Lightning McQueen, in his car form, were traveling down a dirt road through the forested region of Lorraine, where Site-06-3 was located.
"What did he say?" McQueen asked.
"Chimera have entered the war, and they had to withdraw from the city," Nikolai answered with a sigh. "Things are not going our way, comrade."
"...Oh."
As Nikolai gazed out the window, lost in thought, he suddenly spotted something down the dirt road. It was a large cuboid-shaped building which came into view, bearing the Foundation logo on one of its walls.
"Stop right there, McQueen."
Following his words, McQueen halted about ten meters from the building. Nikolai stepped out of the car, and McQueen shifted back to his bipedal form as they cautiously approached the building.
"Halt!"
A voice from above made them stop in their tracks. The pair looked up to see Damien standing on the roof, holding SCP-5175, also known as Death Knife.
"Easy, comrade. We are with the Foundation," Nikolai said.
Squinting his eyes, Damien examined the two before he recognized them. "My god, it's The Hand and Wheel of Fortune!"
"Well, my name is Nikolai, and this is Lightning McQueen. Who are you?" Nickolai asked.
"I'm Damien, and this is Hanzo. Welcome to Site-06-3!"
"Wait, didn't Jeff mention them before?" McQueen asked.
"Yeah. Yeah! You're right."
"If you know Jeff, then he might have told you about the fight with Touch the Skies," Damien added.
"Da, so can we come in?" Nikolai asked.
"By all means, yes. But can McQueen fit in the corridors of the site?"
"If he uses his adaptability power to adjust the width and height of his body, then he can," Nickolai explained.
"I see. Then go ahead! I'll meet you at the elevator," Damien said.
Nikolai and McQueen entered the site, and true to his word, Damien met them at the elevator. Together, they descended to the underground floors of the Site.