As we approached the MTF camp, I closed my eyes to try to calm down. If the MTF saw me on fire, they would think they were under attack. I took a deep breath, focusing on my inhalation, the pauses between and finally the exhaling.

This usually helps to get me focused. It’s a form of meditation, I think. I opened my eyes after exhaling one final time, looking down at my hands. They were no longer burning.

Nice.

Me and the pack continued walking toward the MTF camp, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We eventually reached the perimeter guard, which I greeted.

“What’s with the SCP-939 horde following you? Are... Are you sure they’re friendly? Also how come you’re not... wearing a space suit?”

I chuckled a little. “I don’t really know, to be honest. I just woke up outside the facility this morning, and I didn’t need to have a space suit to breathe. As for the 939... No, I'm not sure.”

The operative was not happy with that answer and ordered me to step around the other side of the facility. “All right, all right, relax.”

Around back they had a special airlock with reinforced metal doors that could only be opened from the inside of the facility. Me and the pack of 939 all fit nicely as the doors were primarily intended for storing large APC vehicles when the site was fully operational.

The blast doors closed behind us, and the lights turned on. It didn’t take long before I saw a familiar face on the other side of the bulletproof glass: Alex.

Alex looked angry, as she always did.

“Agent Bacon, reporting for duty.” I mockingly saluted toward Foxtrot and Cherry sat down politely beside me.

Alex angrily glared at me through the windows. “Care to explain why all these 939 are flocking around you like you’re their shepherd or something!? And how can you breathe without a suit?!”

I lowered my arm before picking up Cherry from the floor. I faced the window again, now cradling Cherry like a baby. “I don’t really know. I’ve just always had my way with these guys.” I cleared my throat. “As for me being able to breathe in martian air... I don’t really know. I just woke up being able to breathe it.”

Alex looked like she’d seen a ghost. “I know you had something special with Tomato but to have earned the respect from 18... no, 26 otherwise feral 939?” She noticed the 939 children that were playing among their pack members and scoffed. “You’re unbelievable.”

I put Cherry down to the floor again after giving her a little kiss on the snout. “I guess I'm just quirky like that.” I said, smiling to Alex on the other side of the door.

Alex sighed. “Are you absolutely sure they won’t go on a rampage ripping my crew apart if I let you out of the hangar bay? I’m talking 110% certainty.”

I quickly shook my head. “Nope. I cannot guarantee that at all.”

Alex pinched the bridge on her nose. “I’ll be fair with you. In any other circumstance I'd have your head, along with all these 939. But... You seem to have a good grasp on them, even though we cannot be certain they’re going to leave other people beside you alone. I’ll make you a deal. Your pack here can have its own holding cell and you’ll be able to go freely in and out of the cell on your own and take them on missions if we deem that necessary. Your part of the deal will be that under absolutely no circumstances are you allowed to take them through the facility. They will only stay in the holding cell or go directly outside. Have I made myself clear?”

I thought about the offer and considering that the alternative was they all being killed, I agreed. “That sounds fine to me. I can guarantee that Cherry will be nice though, I've had much longer time to raise her to be docile around other people too.”

Alex sighed yet again. “All right, I suppose we can arrange it so you can keep that one anomaly. I’ll find an unused 939 harness for her.”

I let out a small celebratory yay before returning my attention to Foxtrot again. “So, what do I do with the other members of the pack?”

Alex produced a map of the facility, pointing toward a room bordering the outside wall in one area. “This holding cell was designed to have only one entrance from the outside. Seeing as you no longer have any need for a space suit, I'd appreciate it if you could walk them there yourself.” She lowered the piece of paper and glared right into my eyes. A bead of sweat formed on my forehead and I nervously asked what she wanted.

“You’ll report to me immediately at the reception after you’re finished with your assignment. Have I made myself clear?”

I nodded, still keeping my gaze intently fixated on hers. “Y-you got it, ma’am.”

Alex softened her gaze a little, nodding. “Thank you. Dismissed.”

The outside door to the hangar opened and before I knew it, Alex had walked away from the glass once again.

Phew. She definitely takes her job seriously...

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and walked outside the facility again. I looked to the holding cell Alex had told me about, opening the door with a 4-digit number I used to use for getting into SCP-682’s cell. I was given the code from Sebastian himself, and it could unlock virtually any door in the facility.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

This door was no different and it buzzed, opening to the inside of the holding cell. The room was spacious, easily fitting the large pack of 939 I had with me. The room was covered entirely with steel plating, safe for one wall which was made of bulletproof glass.

I sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, gathering the 939 pack around me. “Guys, could you do me a favour and stay here until I come back? It might take a little while but I will return to you.”

All the 939’s sat down obediently and nodded simultaneously. Okay, that’s a little creepy but I guess they got the message.

“Cherry girl, you can come with me.”

Cherry came from the middle of the pack somewhere, with her kids on her back. “Let’s get you back to Tomato.”

I went back inside the facility, and now that the 939’s were no longer menacingly following me the mood had lightened. The MTF had gone back to their regular alert yet friendly behavior, greeting me as they went about with their assignments.

I walked back to the reception as the first thing I did and, surprising no one, Alex was there waiting for me.

I greeted her with her codename. “Hello again, Foxtrot.”

Alex swiveled on her chair and pointed toward one of the other chairs in the reception area. “Sit down, please.”

I obliged and sat down in the chair with Cherry on my lap. “What’s up?”

Foxtrot looked down at Cherry then back up at me. She looked like she was thinking of what to say next and I could practically hear the gears turning in her head.

“Bacon.”

I remained unmoving, only humming to confirm my attention.

“Could you... help me befriend one of the 939’s? It gets... very lonely sometimes and I'd like a companion like you have with Cherry and Tomato.”

I had never seen Alex like this, she was not speaking in her usually assertive and dominant manner, instead with that of vulnerability and sorrow.

I was so shocked by the sudden tone change and half-stumbled on my words. “Y-yeah, I mean it’ll probably take some time, but I think we could make something like that happen.”

Alex did something I had never in a million years imagined seeing her do, and she smiled. “That’s... Thanks.”

Is it just me or was she getting closer?

I stuttered and it became clear that she was leaning closer to me by the second. “A-Alex? What are you...”

My words seemed to snap her out of some sort of trance, and she immediately retreated from me. “I don’t know what came over me...” She narrowed her eyes and her usual angry look returned. “Use my code name, damn it!” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose angrily before looking back at me with a glare. “You’re free to go. I’ll contact you regarding the project. You’re dismissed.”

I was half-shocked at the event that had just transpired. After picking Cherry up, I simply got up from my chair and walked away.

Cherry looked back at Foxtrot, then up at me with a little whimper. “Yeah, I agree Cherry... She seems troubled.”

I nuzzled Cherry before walking to the stairs leading up to the second floor. “Let’s just focus on going to SCP-049's cell, that’s where Tomato is staying for the time being.” Cherry looked excited at me mentioning her mate and playfully nudged my arm, asking to be let down. I obliged, bending down to the floor and letting her walk on her own again.

049’s cell wasn’t hard to spot- there were roses decorating the entire outside of it after all.

I walked over to the door, knocking on it. It didn’t take long for the door to open, and I was met by the face of Jade who was smiling. “Oh, hey Bacon! Tomato’s been such a good boy, I almost don’t want to give him back.” She laughed as Tomato squeezed through the gap in the door, passing by her legs and going over to Cherry.

“I see you found cherry too! The whole...” Her eyes went wide as she looked at the 939 children who were clambering all over Tomato, now that they were reunited. “... family is together again.”

I laughed a little. “Yeah, so some stuff happened when I was gone it seems.”

Jade looked back up at me. “Well don’t just stand there, come on in!”

Jade and 049 were in the middle of making dinner when I came along, and after they eventually finished we sat down at their dinner table and ate. “We didn’t plan to have another visitor, you’ve been gone for quite a while you know.”

I suddenly remembered that I've been gone for about a week. “Oh, right. Time sure flies, huh?”

A worried look spread across my face as I remembered what I did to Hatchet. “I... Can you two keep a secret?”

Jade and 049 both nodded. “Yeah, what’s up?”

I sighed. “Something... very strange happened to me when I was over at the main site. I... I think it’s best if I show you.”

I stood up from the table and walked to the middle of the room. “This might get... bright.”

I closed my eyes, remembering the grief I felt when I saw Cherry’s life fade from her body. The feeling resurfaced... and so did the fiery power.

Since I knew Cherry was still alive and the memories were just that, I guess it was less extreme and I felt I had much better control over what I was doing. I allowed the fiery feeling to spread across my body slowly, and after it reached my fingertips, I slowly opened my eyes. I looked straight at Jade and 049.

“What the hell just happened?” Jade looked in shock at what had occurred in front of her. “You... you’re burning.”

I looked down at my hands, seeing the familiar green flame on my black skin. “I am.”

SCP-049 immediately rose from the seat he was sitting on and walked closer to me. “This is fascinating. Your body is actively burning the pestilence lingering in the air...” He stopped himself from touching me as he did not have gloves on. “May I...?”

I looked at Jade. She seemed stoic, almost uncaring at the situation unfolding in front of her. I returned my attention to SCP-049 and spoke. “Yeah, just go ahead.”

049’s hand touched my skin and... I didn’t die. He moved his hand along my pitch-black colored skin, as though he knew I was going to be fine all along. His hand crept all the way up to my cheek, cupping it.

“Extraordinary. You seem to have transcended your human form, becoming something entirely else. That something is immune to the pestilence, fortunately.”

He let go of me. “Can you willingly return to your previous form?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Last time I just... snapped out of it. This time I don’t know if it’s going to be so easy.”

I looked at my hands, clenching them. “How do you know so much about this, 049?”

“I... I don’t rightly know. I just do.”

I closed my eyes, trying to meditate like I did when I last returned to my human form.

Inhale. Pause. Exhale.

Eventually the fiery feeling subsided and I opened my eyes. 049 was still standing there, looking at me.

“Impressive.”

I smiled and looked down at my hands. They were back to normal again.

“Well, what do you think?”

Jade was still just staring at me with a stoic expression. “That’s one hell of a party trick.”

I chuckled. “I hope you can keep this secret.”

Jade looked straight into my eyes.

“You have my word.”