I had sat down at the mess hall, grabbing some MREs to eat. It’s been a while since I last ate, and the MTF MRE’s are actually pretty tasty. I chatted with some of the MTF, listening to their stories about the site.

Many of the task force operatives were at the site when it “went bad”, and told me about it. “It was... carnage. SCP’s everywhere, people getting torn to shreds left and right. Us operatives were ordered to stand our ground for a while until Foxtrot realized the situation was FUBAR. Those of us who were still alive escaped here where we set up defenses for the inevitable onslaught of the Anomalies who undoubtedly followed us... but they never came.”

I nodded. “I see. Do you have any theories on why the anomalies stopped their hunt?”

The operative sighed. “My guess? They were busy ripping our colleagues apart...”

I sighed. “Unfortunately, you’re probably right.”

The operative finished up their meal and walked off. “Take care.”

I sighed, looking down at Tomato which was still sitting beside me, obediently as ever. “Tomato, do you think I could have made a difference if I was there when it went bad?”

Tomato tilted his head in confusion. He didn’t say anything, and eventually returned his attention to his MRE again.

I shook my head. There’s no point in regretting the past. What’s done is done.

“Hey Tomato, what do you say we try to find Jade? The MTF have all told us that she is here somewhere. I just wonder exactly where she’s at...”

Tomato perked up at my words. “Jade!”

I smiled, petting Tomato. “Yeah, you’re also excited to see her again?” I looked up at the various holding cells on the second floor of the building. “My guess is she’s in the same cell as SCP-049. Shall we go?”

Tomato licked his plate and got off the floor with a little jump. “Let’s go then.”

I walked past a good few dozen cells before finally coming to a stop outside one that looked different from the others. The outside of it was decorated with... rose petals?

I put my hand on the fingerprint scanner, inciting a small beep. “SCP-049 temporary containment cell.”

I hummed in intrigue. Just pure luck, I suppose.

The door slid open, and I could see inside the room. Sure enough, SCP-049 was standing there over what looked to be a body.

"Hey! 049!"

The doctor stopped his movements at my words. “What... Who are you?”

I stepped through the door with a grin on my face. “It’s been quite some time, Doc.”

049 turnt around, facing me. I swear I could see a smile forming on his face and he put his hands up in shock. “Bacon! You’re... You’re alive!”

049 quickly put his gloves on, walking toward me. He seemed to want to shake hands with me, but I had other plans. I wrapped my hands around his chest, embracing the doctor.

SCP-049 was shocked, but eventually reciprocated the hug. “Hello, friend. It’s good to see you again.”

Tomato ran up behind me, probably feeling left out and pounced onto my back, sending me falling toward the floor with 049 still in my arms. “Tomat- oof!”

049 hit the floor with his back with me on top of him. “Ugh!”

I quickly let go of the doctor, rolling beside him on the floor. “Tomato...”

I erupt in a laugh, grabbing my red friend and pulling him into an embrace. He reciprocated the hug, licking me in the face. “We didn’t forget about you, pal!”

I could also hear another laugh erupt in the room, originating from 049. “Tomato’s still playful, I see.”

I let go of Tomato and raised my torso from the floor. “Are you okay, by the way?”

049 chuckled and rose off the floor, dusting himself off. “Yeah, I'm fine. I’m just... not used for such intimate proximity with people.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I just really needed a hug. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

049 gave me a sympathetic smile, reaching out a hand for me to take. “I understand. Take my hand, I'll pull you up from the floor.”

I took it and with 049’s help got up on my feet again. “Thank you.”

049 nodded. “Anytime, my friend.”

A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I snapped my fingers. “049, where is jade? She’s usually not far from you so where is she-”

I couldn’t even finish my sentence before I felt two hands wrapping around my head, blocking my sight. The hands were small, like they came from a child.

“Guess who.”

I immediately recognized the voice, and a smile formed on my face. “Hello again, jade.”

Jade let go of my head and turned me around to face her. “How the hell are you still alive?! I thought you died in that explosion! We had multiple ongoing theories, such a-”

I stopped Jade from finishing her sentence. “What matters is that I'm here now. The past is the past, right?”

Jade smiled. “Yeah, I'm just so happy to see your face again. Sebastian lost faith that you’d survived... but I never did. I kept my hopes up.”

We spent a good hour just chatting with each other, catching each other up on what’s been happening since we last saw each other. It was very nice to finally talk to a true friend again- don't get me wrong, Tomato and Cherry are also friends but it’s nice to have real sentences returned when you speak to them.

“So, what do you guys do now that the site is gone? Do you just date all day or...”

Jade blushed a little and angrily snapped back. “No! We totally have like... research on the side...”

I smiled. “Oh, I bet.”

Jade blushed even harder and went back to 049, helping him with his autopsy.

I chuckled and exited the holding cell again. “I’ll see you two around, then!”

Jade looked over her shoulder, scoffing. “Stupid... saying we do nothing but date... *mumbles*”

I closed the door behind me and looked down to the central part of the facility again. Alex, or I guess Foxtrot was looking right at me, waving me down.

Whenever that lady orders you to do something, you better make sure you’re there yesterday or you’re seriously going to get your ears full. I ran down the stairs to the first floor and marched obediently toward the reception.

“At ease, anomaly.” Alex sized me up, nodding. “We’re planning for a... special excursion in which your anomalous properties will be well suited. We need personnel to cross a heavily infested area and with you we’re guaranteed to have no casualties. We can’t exactly afford to lose any of our squadron members, as you could probably guess.”

I gulped. “I see. So, I'm going solo?”

Alex nodded. “That’s the plan. You’ll be granted a firearm and some ammunition for it, but outside of that you’re pretty much on your own. I can see you’ve already made your own weapons imbued with Hume though, so you’re not completely ignorant to hand-on-hand combat.”

I shrugged. “I guess you could say that.”

Alex clapped her hands. “Allright, that settles it. You’ll clear out the aquarium of the main facility, in which there are reports that 3199 have been nesting for quite some time. Good luck, Bacon.”

I saluted. “Will that be all?”

Foxtrot looked at me, sighing. “That’ll be all. Dismissed.”

I had gotten to the armory and was talking to the quartermaster who was stationed inside the booth. “I’ll definitely need something with some punch. SCP-3199 aren’t exactly... easy to kill.”

The quartermaster nodded, producing a KSG shotgun. “This should do the trick. I’ll give you 6 buckshot shells and 6 slugs. To switch between the two tubes, click this button.”

The quartermaster pressed a button situated above the trigger, next to the safety. The gun clicked, causing a tiny lever next to the tubes to switch positions to block the other tube.

“Of course, this won’t change the currently chambered round. If you’re in an area where engagement range varies a lot, I'd suggest having the gun unchambered until you know which round will be most effective for your current situation.”

I grabbed the shotgun and the 12 shells. “Thank you, quartermaster.”

The man nodded, walking back into the armory.

Tomato was still with me and looked upset that I had a weapon in my hands. “Scary.”

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I put the shotgun back on the counter and bent down to pet Tomato. “You know I'd never hurt you, right?”

Tomato licked my hand. “Yes.”

I smiled emphatically and cupped his cheek. “You should probably stay here for now, Tomato. It’s not safe where I'm going.”

Tomato looked a little upset and sat down on the floor. “Cherry?”

I smiled. “I’ll come back with Cherry, okay? You guys and your children will be much safer here with the MTF than in the main building.”

Tomato smiled at my words and sat obediently on the floor. I pet him one last time, before getting to my feet again. I got the attention of a MTF operative and asked them to take him to SCP-049's holding cell. I had full trust that Jade and he could take care of Tomato while I was gone. The operative nodded and grabbed Tomato’s leash.

“Go on boy, they’ll take you somewhere nice.”

Tomato was a little upset that he was being held by a stranger but calmed down at my words. “See you soon.” I waved at him one last time as the operative turned a corner to the second-floor stairs.

I sighed, returning my attention to the firearm on the counter. I grabbed it and cocked the gun in case there were any rounds already chambered, which there were not.

“Let’s go make some AFC then.”

I’d made my way back to the main facility, looking around the main foyer. Nothing particularly out of place so far... Where did Hatchet go, though? He definitely didn’t leave, the spaceship he arrived in was still at the landing pad.

I looked at the floor. There were no new footprints, corpses or any sign of the man anywhere. Just where could he have gone? I looked around the foyer, thinking where I'd go if I was him.

He’s a xenophobic and trigger-happy asshole. The first thing he’d do is...

Oh god. I know exactly where he’d go. He’d follow after me, ending up in... The 939 containment cell.

My heart immediately sank as the realization dawned on me. Cherry and the kids...

I snapped. A primal rage to protect those I cared about overwhelmed me, and I barely had control of my actions. I ran faster than I'd ever done before to the Keter wing, smashing the elevator panel with my fist. My hand shattered upon impact, but I didn’t care. My regeneration seemed to be working faster than usual, and in mere seconds my hand looked alright again.

The elevator arrived at the first floor, and I pried the hydraulic doors open with my bare hands. The elevator immediately began descending as soon as I stepped inside, almost as if it knew where I wanted to go before I even pressed the number panel.

The elevator shot down into the ground, and before long it opened to the 7’th basement floor. I pulled the doors apart, damaging the hydraulics beyond repair. I stepped out onto the catwalks like an animal with only one thing on my mind.

Cherry and the kids.

I didn’t waste any time taking the stairs and vaulting off the catwalks, free-falling down to the floor. It was a good 10 meters and my legs shattered upon impact, but I was not phased in the slightest. My legs quickly reformed beneath me and i stood up.

A moment of clarity came over me, and I was finally able to see clearly for a moment.

What I saw, though, was more than I could handle.

Strewn about everywhere on the floor was 939 anomalies... All looking heavily damaged.

I began sobbing, regaining control of my actions once more. “What... what happened here?”

A tiny sliver of hope lit up in my mind as I walked over to Tomato’s cell. Maybe... Maybe he spared them? Yeah, that must be it. He wouldn’t...

I turned the corner of the cell, and I was petrified by what I saw.

Cherry lied motionless on the floor, positioned in front of her young.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I rushed over to her. “Cherry! Oh god, cherry. What did that monster do to you?”

Cherry weakly moved her head up toward me. She was alive!

“Oh, thank God you’re alive! Come on, let’s get you to-”

Cherry shook her head slowly. “I... weak.” she dropped her head to the floor, tightening her tail around her kids, who were thankfully still alive. “Protect... family. For me.”

“No, no cherry, don’t give up yet girl, we can still...” tears flooded from my eyes and I sobbed uncontrollably. “Don’t leave me. Don’t go... Please...”

Cherry whimpered sadly as her head slowly drooped toward the floor... and she finally stopped moving.

I looked down at Cherry's corpse, lying in my arms. My hands and arms were covered in her blood...

And I broke. I bent over her corpse, tears running down my face and riddling her dead body like raindrops on a stormy night.

“Cherry...”

I let go of my friend’s lifeless body and placed her carefully onto the floor.

An indescribable rage built in my body as I thought of Hatchet. He who did this...

I began shaking with anger and I swore I could briefly see green flames form on my skin as I finally snapped again, losing all sense of myself.

“YOU’LL FUCKING DIE FOR THIS! YOU HEAR ME!”

I roared like a monster, shaking the walls of the 939 chamber. Tears ran down my torso, soaking my lab coat in salty tears as I launched off the floor like iron man. I had no clue what I was doing, my body was acting completely on its own.

I launched up the elevator shaft, shooting straight through the steel roof of the elevator cage. I wasn’t even phased and before long I rocketed out into the main foyer.

My vision suddenly changed and I was able to only see one thing.

Hatchet.

His heat signature lit up like a red target in my view, and I shot straight toward it like a missile on a collision course.

I smashed through reinforced concrete like it was nothing, launching off toward the outside of the facility. There he was.

I landed about a meter from the monster I called Hatchet, screaming full force straight at him. “YOU’RE DEAD!”

I rushed over to him, grabbing him by the torso and carrying him right up into the air. He desperately tried to hit me, but it was no use.

Eventually I reached the outside of the atmosphere, and I ripped his helmet off. His face was that of a scared little child, and he immediately choked on the vacuum of space.

I was unphased by the lack of atmosphere and I held him in a steel grip. “Don’t think you’ll get off that easily. You won’t get to have the sweet release of death, like you forced my cherry to live through.”

I dropped toward the surface of mars again, spinning around before throwing the ragdolled body of Hatchet toward the ground like a gunshot ringing throughout the entire planet. A crater formed from his impact and I landed right beside him.

But he was still alive.

“Your suffering has only just begun. Prepare for unending misery.”

Hatchet let out an ear-piercing scream of pure agony as his broken and battered body lay at the bottom of the crater. His ligaments slowly reformed into a recovered state... then I ripped him in two.

The next days all blend together in my memory. It’s all a blur. I remember faint things like his blood on my skin, the smell of iron coating the air as his bodily fluids evaporated at my touch, over and over.

Eventually I regained my senses. It took days... weeks even, for me to finally regain my composure.

Hatchet was still alive, however.

“Please! Just make it stop!”

I realized what I was doing and dropped the man to the floor for the final time.

“Fine.”

I kicked his head off like a baseball, and this time he did not survive. His head flew at mach-2 through the atmosphere, and on a trajectory for the sun.

I looked down at the headless corpse in front of me, then at my own hands. I was coated with a green flame, and my skin was pure black.

“What... happened to me?”

I dropped to the floor, exhausted. The green flames retreated and my normal skin returned to take its place.

I wiped one stray tear from my face before fading into unconsciousness once again.

“Cherry... This was for you.”