Chapter 77: Back to school
Leonard woke up to the sound of his alarm, blinking at the time. It was 6:00 AM. Still groggy, he slipped out of bed and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. There, a few Resh-1 operatives were already seated, drinking coffee and scanning over mission briefings. They noticed him and stood, giving him a respectful salute. Leonard casually waved them down, asking for a light breakfast before heading back upstairs to shower and get dressed for school.
After his morning routine, Leonard returned to the kitchen, where an omelette, fresh fruit, and a glass of milk awaited him on the table. As he sat down to eat, Alexei, the acting commander of Resh-1, stood nearby, waiting for Leonard's attention. Alexei, a burly Russian in his thirties, wore civilian clothes but stood at attention as if ready for a military parade.
"What's the plan for today?" Leonard asked between bites.
Alexei promptly handed him a tablet, scrolling through various updates. "The incident with the demon invasion has been closed. The area will remain sealed for three more days to ensure all evidence of the battle is wiped clean before civilians are allowed back in. There's been quite a bit of noise over the sudden evacuation, and protests have already started cropping up. The French government explained the evacuation by saying that a military convoy carrying a highly unstable nuclear weapon was attacked by a terrorist group, which accounts for the gunfire and explosions."
Leonard nodded, swallowing his last bite. "How's the public reacting?"
Alexei cleared his throat before continuing. "Far-right political parties have jumped on the chance to blame Islamic terrorism, sparking riots and anti-Muslim violence in several cities. We've already seen clashes between extremist groups and Muslim communities."
Leonard leaned back in his chair, a smirk creeping across his face. "Well, let's leave that mess for the French government to handle. What about the investigation into the Insurgency?"
Alexei's tone grew graver. "Overnight, joint operations between the Gendastrerie and several tactical teams led to raids on several insurgent bases. We've captured more than 60 prisoners and confirmed over 200 eliminations. Most of the prisoners are researchers. O5-4 has suggested forming Research Task Force Sigma-4, made up of captured researchers and scientists from various hostile groups. They'll be used in dangerous projects where disposable researchers are required."
Leonard gave a slight nod. "I approve. Tell O5-4 to proceed with the formation of the task force."
Alexei acknowledged the order, making a note on his tablet. "It will be done. As for your school schedule, today you start at 8 AM with two hours of mathematics, followed by one hour of history and geography, then a one-hour break. After that, you'll have two hours of physics and chemistry, finishing with one hour of biology."
Leonard groaned, rubbing his temples. "This schedule is trying to kill me. Send me back to hell, at least there I won't be bored."
Alexei smiled, his voice laced with amusement. "At 4 PM, you'll have free time to do as you please, and at 5 PM, you've scheduled a meeting with the leaders of the other organizations. After that, your evening is yours."
Leonard sighed. "How's Graves doing?"
"He woke up this morning," Alexei said, "and insisted on coming back to the field, but the medical team was strict about him staying in recovery until tomorrow."
Leonard nodded thoughtfully. "What about the security arrangements for my school?"
Alexei's face brightened with confidence. "It's complicated but under control. A guard will escort you to school each day; today, that'll be me. SCP-066-DE will remain in your bag. Twenty operatives will be stationed around the school under cover or using optical camouflage."
"Good," Leonard said, checking the time. "What time is it?"
"7:40 AM, sir. You have twenty minutes before class starts."
Leonard choked on his milk, eyes wide. "SHIT! I'M GONNA BE LATE!" He grabbed his bag and bolted out the door, Alexei hot on his heels as they raced toward the car parked outside.
The drive was long, and Leonard finally arrived at the school at 8:02 AM. He walked quickly toward the administrative office, got a late slip, and headed up to the second floor, where his classroom was located. When he knocked on the door, the math teacher opened it, giving him a surprised but amused look.
"Well, well, Mr. Leonard, you're still alive?" the teacher said with a smirk. "Might I remind you that summer vacation runs from the end of June until September, not May to September."
The teacher took Leonard's tardy slip and motioned for him to sit in the back of the room. As Leonard walked toward his seat, a few of his classmates threw lighthearted jokes his way, but he brushed them off, sitting next to his friend.
"Hey, what's up, Joris?" Leonard greeted.
"Damn, you finally remembered we existed, you bastard?" his friend replied with a grin, reaching out for a fist bump. They clasped hands in a quick, familiar handshake.
Before the two could exchange more words, the math teacher banged on his desk twice, calling their attention.
"Mr. Dumont, you and your friend over there," the teacher said sternly. "You've already fallen a month behind in your first year of high school. I expect you to remain quiet and follow the lesson. At the end of class, come see me so I can give you the material you've missed."
Both Leonard and his friend replied in unison, "Yes, sir," and then focused on the lesson.
---
At lunchtime, Leonard, surrounded by several of his friends, headed towards the cafeteria. One of them called out, "Yo Leonard, what's up? We haven't seen your face in a month. Why didn't you respond to our messages on Snapchat?"
Leonard smiled, replying, "My mom left for work, and she decided to send me to my grandma's place so she could watch over me. It was boring, there was no Wi-Fi, and I couldn't get any signal."
His friends nodded, understanding the situation. The rest of the day dragged on, with his friends asking if he wanted to join them for a game of soccer at the local court after school. Leonard declined, explaining that he had to catch up on all the lessons he had missed.
After school, Leonard got into a car where Alexei was waiting for him. "Home," Leonard said, and Alexei nodded before driving off.
Suddenly, a notification echoed in Leonard's mind:
[Ding! You have several unclaimed rewards. Would you like to open them?]
Leonard mentally accepted the prompt, and the system continued:
[Ding! For successfully repelling a Tartarean entity invasion and greatly assisting a host of the Hope System, the system rewards you with the 'Demon Hunter' pack. Would you like to open it?]
[Ding! For defeating an entity twenty levels higher than yours, the system rewards you with the 'Office of The Administrator' pack. Would you like to open it?]
[Ding! Your free monthly spin on the Wheel of Fortune is now available.]
[Ding! You have officially made contact with more than three Groups of Interest. You are rewarded with the 'Diplomacy' pack. Would you like to open it?]
Leonard stared at the messages, processing the flood of rewards. His mind raced as he thought of the possibilities these rewards could bring.
"Alexei," he called, eyes still focused on the system's notifications. "Get ready. I think things are about to get interesting."
Leonard gave the command: "System, open the 'Demon Hunter' pack."
[Ding! The 'Demon Hunter' pack has been opened. You receive:
- MTF Mu-0 "Maxwell Demons"
- Demonology Division/ Department of Demonology
- Site-666 (Las Vegas, USA)
- Unlock recruitment of "MTF Agents (Demon Mode)" unit in the shop
- Unlock recruitment of "Demonology Specialist" units in the shop
- Receive the ability: Demon Mode from a Null-class demon
- Receive "EIDolon (Electrodemonic Interference Device)" Paratechnology
- Receive "Gell-Mann Delta-metal Embroidered Suit" Paratechnology
- Receive "Ortiz-Hannigan Geas Operation Device" Paratechnology
- Receive "House-Nicolas Theoplanar Vacuum Unit" Paratechnology
- Receive Hero unit "SCP-181"]
Leonard processed the list, realizing how much stronger his arsenal had just become.
Leonard jumped on the spot in excitement upon discovering all these rewards, surprising Alexei, who jerked the wheel in response before quickly regaining control. "Boss, everything okay?" Alexei asked, his voice laced with concern.
Leonard, still beaming, quickly apologized. "Sorry, I just found out some great news!"
Suddenly, Alexei's radio crackled to life. "01-8 to 01-2, we saw the car swerve suddenly. Is everything alright?"
Alexei responded, "01-2 to 01-8, nothing to report, just a small situation."
"Understood, over," the radio confirmed.
Leonard gave an embarrassed smile to Alexei, who simply nodded and didn't push the matter further. "Sorry again," Leonard repeated, scratching the back of his neck.
Alexei shook his head. "No problem, sir." After a pause, Leonard added, "By the way, we just gained control over a new site in the U.S. The director there will be under my command for the time being."
Alexei nodded, then quickly dialed the office of O5-4 to pass along the message. Meanwhile, Leonard navigated back into the system's menu and clicked on "Resources," selecting MTF Mu-0 "Maxwell Demons."
Leonard read the information in detail:
[ Group: Mu-0 "Maxwell Demons"
Type: Mobile Task Force
Affiliation: Department of Task Forces
Location: Site-666, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Personnel: 1 MTF Commander (Demon Mode), 60 MTF Agents (Demon Mode)
Specialization: Containment and combat of demons and demonology-related anomalies. ]
Leonard smirked to himself. "I finally have my very first task force from the Foundation's parent branch," he said to himself. "And these guys sound amazing—turning into demons to fight other demons? This is looking so cool."
Alexei suddenly reminded Leonard, "Boss, you've forgotten about Xi-13 'Sequeres Nos' from the Foundation's parental branch."
Leonard exclaimed, "Oh shit, I forgot they even existed!"
---
Meanwhile, on Xi-13's side:
"Commander, we're getting bored. When are we going to get a mission?"
The commander sighed and replied, "I have no idea." Then he paused, rubbing his nose before asking, "Do you think at least someone knows we still exist?"
---
Back in the car, Leonard commented, "Well, it looks like the other paratechs are mainly for dealing with demons. Not bad. System, open the 'Office of The Administrator' pack."
[Ding! The "Office of The Administrator" pack has been opened. You receive:
- 150 additional operators for MTF Resh-1 "Seat of Consciousness."
- Evolution of MTF Resh-1 "Seat of Consciousness" through operator upgrades: 60% thaumaturgists, 20% Level 2 reality benders, 10% Level 3 reality benders, 9% psionists, and 1% Level 4 reality benders.
- Receive as an assistant, the legendary heroic unit Administrator Frantz Williams.
- Gain Site-01 (SCP-001, Rural Virginia, USA).
- Acquire SCP-4112.
- Immunity to mental attacks, cognitohazards, and biological, chemical, and nuclear threats.]
Leonard exclaimed, "OH DAMN!" which startled Alexei as well, though he maintained control of the vehicle. Leonard quickly apologized, smiling, "Sorry, Alexei. I just received some wonderful news. We've gained a new headquarters, an assistant, and 150 new brothers-in-arms!"
Leonard's phone rang, displaying "Unknown Caller." He answered, and a voice said, "Hello Boss, i am Frantz Williams, and I will be your assistant starting today. I'm currently stationed at my residence in Virginia and preparing to travel to France with about a hundred Resh-1 operators. They'll join your initial 20 Resh-1 operators as additional teams."
Leonard's eyes widened in surprise at this news. He quickly asked, "What are the current resources and personnel at Site-01?"
Frantz replied, "At the moment, I have my personal wealth amounting to 1.2 billion dollars. With that, I have access to a vast amount of information systems, historical artifacts both normal and anomalous. Everything is protected by a contingent of 150 Resh-1 operators and several personal assistants who handle daily tasks such as cleaning, meals, and more. We also have SCP-4112 in storage."
Leonard fell silent for a few moments, thinking deeply. Then he responded, "Cancel your trip to Europe. I want you to remain in the United States and expand the Foundation's influence there. I'll be placing Site-666 under your direct command. At the same time, send me only 40 Resh-1 operators along with SCP-4112. Also, Site-01 will remain classified and known only to me, you, and any Foundation personnel with Level 5 clearance. The location will only be accessible to personnel from the Office of The Administrator and Resh-1."
Frantz replied, "Understood, Boss." After a brief exchange of jokes, Leonard hung up.
Leonard reflected for a moment and thought, "But what exactly is SCP-4112?" He opened the "Resources" tab from the system menu and selected SCP-4112:
[Name: SCP-4112
Object Class: Safe
Threat Level: White/Black
Description: SCP-4112 is a lyre constructed from tortoise shell, bovine intestinal strings, leather, and other non-anomalous materials.
Effects:
- Excessive Durability: SCP-4112 is nearly indestructible, resisting all but diamond-tipped instruments. When dismantled, the components of the lyre reassemble themselves at speeds of up to 10 km/h without visible damage or seams.
- Artificial Ontokinesis: Upon being played with the intent of producing sound, the lyre manifests the user's will through ontokinetic manipulation. This allows the user to alter reality based on the complexity of their performance. Tests have demonstrated the lyre's ability to summon or banish objects, reshape the laws of reality, transport the user through time, and more. Its power is equivalent to a Level 4 Reality Bender.]
Upon seeing this, Leonard's eyes widened in shock. He stayed frozen for a few seconds, processing what he had just read. Then, with a grin, he muttered to himself, "System, you're really my golden goose," before laughing softly.
Suddenly, Alexei interrupted Leonard.
"Boss, we've arrived."
Leonard looked around, surprised, and realized they were in front of his house. He got out of the car, followed by Alexei, and they both entered the home. Leonard took off his shoes and immediately headed upstairs to his room. Once inside, he jumped onto his bed, sinking into the comfort of it.
He then said aloud to himself:
"Alright, let's continue."