Commission Runners

13 heard a knock on the bathroom door as she opened it without thinking. The mission had left her exhausted after having to chase the entity over 20 miles on hard terrain. The minor cuts and bruises covered her body as her legs throbbed a bit. It wasn't till she realized Agent Matthew was staring at her shoulder wide eyed that it clicked. 

13 froze up as she felt her guts twist while her stomach dropped. Matthew then turned and bolted for his radio as 13 snapped out of it and just bended them to an empty room that was of her childhood home. Matthew stumbled into the walls as he slightly morphed more into his true form. He turned back to face 13 who was breathing quickly while she was crying with her hand out before her as to support the bend. 

"Matthew, please just listen before you do anything. Please?" 13 choked out as she dropped the bend. Matthew blinked as the room returned to the shared hotel room. 13 stumbled into the bathroom more before the sound of puking echoed out of it. Matthew looked at the radio near his hand. He knew that he should call it in as he wondered if Henry knew.

 Still 13 had just bent reality to ask him to give her time to explain herself. He knew she could have just killed him or done worse. Most reality benders would have, but deep down Matthew knew 13 wouldn't. She would be more likely to run. He sighed and went to the bathroom. 

"So what did they say?" 13 asked as she was sitting against the wall. Her arms hugging her knees. Matthew just entered and closed the door behind him. He didn't lock it though. 

"Nothing. I didn't call it because you wanted to explain your side. And I guess it was always sort of obvious." Matthew replied,  "Just never put two and two together." 

"Lots of people don't. Dr. Clef did, but he's a known liar. So the actual truth would have probably gotten deemed a lie." 13 replied with slight amusement to her voice. Matthew nodded slightly wishing she would look at him and not the wall ahead of her. 

"How did you even escape?" Matthew asked as 13 flinched. He wondered if she bent reality to do so and potentially harmed an entire site. But no site was missing or had ever just disappeared outside of a nuke detonated to keep containment .  All, except the neutralized scp-1730 or Site 13 from another reality. 13 then spoke haunting words which barely made sense at first.

"Site 13. I escaped from site 13 before it disappeared from this reality forever. I watched the place fall apart from the inside…. I don't know how or why I survived. I shouldn't even be here. I should be dead. " 13 started as she just broke down. She only briefed Director Henry on her past, but never gave much details. 

"Don't say that." Matthew instantly said as he came closer  and kneeled down. She was shaking so hard out of fear as she pulled herself tighter. Matthew just grabbed her up against him as 13 began to sob as she just rambled out the rest.

“It was just a fucken mistake that I stepped outside my hotel room. And then that fucken bus and I got grabbed up with those people and just…. I was so scared and I hate the foundation so much for not caring over a mistake like that. An amenstic would have cleared my mind of the event or should have, but they just kept me despite it. I never did anything to be there. To be given a fucken number and then….I hate you. I hate you.” 13 said as she shoved Matthew away from her before she burst into flames for a moment before calming. The lights flickering as 13 sobbed.

“I hate you for not making it. You were nice, kind to everyone. Some d-class would even get in the way of you and some scps. It was scp-999, but it was sweet. D-45523, or Gen. He was cool. He got impaled by something. Never found out what…. Is it bad that I miss some of the D-classes I got to know? I never knew how to feel about it honestly. Most guards were cruel and we only had each other really. Still I found you dead on one of my routes trying to just get out the maze, puzzle box site 13 had gotten itself into. I was one of the last d-classes left from before the takeover. Fuck that man, Emmerson, for what he caused” 13 chocked out as Matthew felt like she was baring her soul now before him. Showing him what made her become the woman he had gotten to know. She then looked at him while she pulled the plasters from her arm as she traced the wrist tattoo. Going over the last two digits twice as her name 13 began to make more sense than her cover story for it. 

“I know I could bend this away, but I don’t want to forget what gave me this new life. Even if it was started by something horrible and made me do terrible things that will haunt me forever. But I got a sense of pride over it. It made me remember that I could bend reality, and that it can be used for good. I got to meet you again and actually get to know you. I got another chance at life and I don’t want it to be cut short. Is that selfish of me?” 13 asked as Matthew got up and just hugged her tightly. He didn’t know what to do or say other than to answer 

“No. No, it’s not selfish.” He hissed as 13 now hugged him back tightly. Her sobs lightening as she then snorted a bit

“You feel like a mushed grape” She choked out as Matthew saw himself in the mirror as he was mostly now flesh in a start of his monster form now. He jerked back and returned to his human form as 13 stood there looking at the ground with her arms  crossed. The shaking returned again.

“You can call now… I’ll wait. It's just you doing your job to keep the world.” 13 started as Matthew cut in

“Does Henry know that you were a d-class?” He asked

“Yeah. He is aware.” 13 replied as she then inquired “Why? Wait. No. Don't let this fall back on him! He was just… I don’t know. Just don’t drag him into this please.” Matthew could hear the desperation and sincerity of the plea. Her body and eyes showed it as he just buckled under the look. Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. Matthew made up his mind as he took a deep breath. He had lied about a lot in his life. He could do this for 13.

“Alright. I won’t tell about Henry knowing or about you either. I just… I’m sorry for reacting the way I did. My training just… you know.” Matthew tried to put nicely to ease some of the tension as 13 smiled in relief as she sorta laughed

“Second-nature. I understand…. I just…. Thank you Matthew. I wanted to tell you for so long but just didn’t know how to put it. Guess this fisico works.” 13 said as she inched towards him as Matthew nodded. He hugged her close once more.

“Wouldn’t change it for the universe. Now let’s wash up. We both look like murder scences” Matthew joked

“That’s because you transformed yourself to a more sarkic form” 13 stated as matthew fired back

“Only cause you bended me to a place I didn’t recognize” Matthew argued back playfully though wincing at his tone.

“A part of my childhood home…. I miss home” 13 the said as she whispered the last part.

“We’ll go there together one day. I would like to see your old town in this reality” Matthew said as 13 sadly smiled

“Might not be the same way I recall it” 13 returned

“Then you can point out the differences. Deal?” Matthew offered

“Deal” 13 confirmed as she then slide out of her underwear and flung it at Matthew who closed his eyes, but laughed as he felt the articles hit him. He then blindly exited the bathroom to sit outside the door as he thought over everything she had said. He sighed heavily as he made a note to talk to the ethics community over what to do if this occasion ever occurs if it hadn’t already.

“I know you don’t want my pity 13,” Matthew then whispered as he felt terrible over what happened to her. It explained so much of why 13 was defensive near foundation personal and rather friendly to D-class. Why she hated the GOC, but would do anything to defend people from harm. 13 had seen something worse than hell and lived to tell no one of it in full probably. The effects echoing her to this day as Matthew then finished.

“But I am so sorry. Forgive me for failing you.” 13’s wet arms then hugged him as she pulled him up right and dragged him into the bathroom once more. Her silence spoke as she had been crying more as Matthew slowly stripped and joined her in the shower. Them slowly bathing the other as 13 made him softly weep as she washed his hair. It was a sign of trust and forgiveness as 13 kissed his nose tenderly before resting her forehead against his forehead while guiding his head under the stream of water. Nothing had to be said, not even as they dried off, got dressed, cleaned up the mess in the bathroom or laid down next to each other in the single bed. Matthew carefully grabbed up 13’s hand to hold as she latched onto it.

“Good night” Matthew whispered as he felt his eyes losing the battle to stay awake.

“Sleep well” 13 whispered back as she just let herself pass out. Matthew pulled her closer before following suit. By morning light, both had slept through their alarms. 13 having stabbed her phone as Matthew found his crushed. Both snickering as they just laid there looking at each other for a moment before 13 fixed their phones as they both sent out ‘We are fine’ texts to their respective teams. From there, they returned to laying while holding the other’s hand till Matthew got up to use the restroom. 

“Yes, Agent Reality?” Henry asked with caution as 13 took a breath to steady herself. Her team looked concerned at her as the room focused on her.

“I mean no disrespect Sir, but are you out of your fucken mind? This thing is out of our league and you know it and I mean you know it, Director Henry. If we send in new agents to this, you might as well just shoot them right now. Even us with experience don’t got a chance.” 13 said trying to bay her anger as Henry tensed on her empathization. He took a moment to level himself and sternly replied,

“Noted Agent Reality. Now sit back down.” 

“You know I am right, and you keeping secrets from us isn’t helping.” 13 shot back in whispered hiss, before heading back to her chair and flopping down in it. Henry glared at her as 13 stared back. The room was silent and was fixated on them. No one had ever seen Director Henry angry like this before and Agent Reality had never interrupted a briefing before. Laura, Agent Space, gently touched 13’s arm but 13 shrugged it off. After a moment, Henry growled out;

“Got more you wish to say 13?” “Yeah, this thing knows you. It said you unleashed it Henry. It said that with the fullest of belief which makes it hard not to believe it. And now you are telling us that the whole UIU is going to go gunning for it; something ain’t right, but it does confirm something Henry. You know it, but you wouldn’t tell us what it is.” 13 said, letting her frustration seep into her words, before adding “This ain’t about protecting the world this time. It’s something to do with your personal pride and you don’t care who gets killed because of it. And for that, Fuck you Henry…. Fuck. You.” Henry was visibly shaking in anger. His face was red as veins bulged on his temples. His fists tight enough that his fingernails had drawn blood while his knuckles turned white. His jaw was clenched as his eyes burned through 13 who had stood back up as her chair was now on the ground behind her. 13’s hands were in firm fists as she stood like an imposing wall.

“Agent Reality. GET OUT!” Henry’s voice boomed, “You are no longer part of the UIU and don't think ‘that’ phone call wouldn’t be going to the foundation.”

13 tensed at the threat as the room seemed shook at what was happening. 13 could hear the agents whispering as she struggled to keep herself from lashing out. She had to act quick when  John, Agent Theory, asked,

“What phone call? 13, what does he mean?”

13 didn’t have time to respond as she saw Henry was going to tell everyone her secret. She let off a blast of energy which slowed down time like Alex’s ability, but no one could hear her and Henry; who had been tossed back into his chair. Henry looked scared, as 13 floated off the floor as she came closer. Her fists clenched tighter as she then spoke up, “Henry, I wish you hadn’t done that. I respected you, trusted you and believed you were a man to rely on, but this changes everything. I don’t know what is so personal between you and that canman, but I will not take a part of personal vengeance. You even taught us that personal vengeance only leads to ruin. It clouds your judgement.” 13 spat out holding the whole room at a stand still, the whole building actually.

“13, you need to calm down. You are right, I was out of…” Henry began to jumbled out as 13 spoke up again,

“No. Just no.”

“What?!” Henry asked, confused as 13’s head hung low as her long hair fell into her face.

“No.” 13 replied about ready to cry “You broke my trust, my belief, my respect for you Henry. It took a lot to reveal that I was once a D-class in another reality. That here is not my home and that because of certain events that I can hardly understand, my old anomalous ability reactivated. An anomalous ability that is so dangerous that it has an instant termination call from all sides. So no, I wouldn’t take your apologies or excuses. You crossed the line, Henry.”

“You can’t kill me 13. It will cause too much suspicion. Calm down, we’ll think of something. Together as we always do. 13? 13?! 13!” Henry yelled as 13 closed her eyes as she froze Henry. She then looked back to her team who looked scared for her as she felt her heartache at what she was about to do. She then took in a deep breath, still fighting tears as she thought hard and ordered.

“Forget me.”

13 thought of every person she had met or seen and put them in a list in her head as she thought of them all just forgetting her and false memories or dreams taking those blank spaces. It was hard to do as she also focused on pictures, videos, notes, documents and anything else that might show that she ever had existed, before she teleported herself away. Everyone then unfroze and seemed confused. Henry guts told him something was wrong as Laura, Alex and John looked concerned as nothing in front of them. A flipped chair between them all, did not help. Henry gently calmed everyone, saying it might have been an effect from Laura’s team entering a can zone. Might of been a word trigger. He postponed the briefing to later as he rushed back to his office to look into his files, but found nothing out of the ordinary. But he felt deep regret as he could only recall a blurred shadow in his mind.

Alex was outside as Laura lit a hand rolled cigarette next to him, John was rushing through his notebook, looking at blocks of missing text. Alex scrolled through his phone for any clue when a MTF member called him. “Time, something just happened. Like everyone who has worked with your team, can’t remember certain things. Like get Henry on the line now. The O5 council needs to speak with him, ‘cause O5-5 has been affected. Hurry.” “GOT IT.”  Alex chripped back loudly, rushing off to find Henry as Laura sighed. She went to pass the cigarette to someone that wasn’t there, which confused her.

“John… I think we are missing someone” She said

“I know. My journals are missing anything that could point to who. Do you think they might have got caught by that thing and after getting all the information from them, it deleted them from history for insurance?” John replied, trying to make sense of why their ability was no help either.

“Potentially. Let’s give that to Henry. It makes enough sense to be possible.” Laura said, looking around for a moment as John gently nudged her towards the door.

Over at the Foundation, O5-5, Orchid, sat on the faceless video call as Henry had little answers other than the hypothesis his agents had come up with. She ran her hand through her hair in concern as she rattled her brain for any ideas to add. She tried to recall details: a name, appearance, items they had, and places. A house came to mind as she cut in with its address before apologizing. She was assured that it was okay this time due to the matter at hand. A MTF was deployed shortly after the call had ended.

Commander Matthew drove the van finding it odd he didn’t really need the map as he drove. It wasn’t his normal team with him as they were still getting checked out for the memory loss, but it felt eerie and uncomfortable. He made sure to glance occasionally at the map as the team whispered behind him. He finally called back.

“Hey, you all okay back there. Not used to this quiet of trips.”

“Sorry Commander, we just didn’t want to distract you. We’re just surprised you are spearheading this operation after your team and all.” replied Diana

“Yeah. How spooky is it with not remembering this agent person?” Jax asked

“How does it feel?” Lexi inquired

“It’s definitely scary to suddenly not remember someone, but not very eerie given our line of work. How it makes me feel though… I feel…. Heartbroken.” Matthew replied as he did feel that way. What he could recall was that he had feelings for this agent and that the agent liked him back. That they were close and their disappearance left gaps of daydreams in his mind. It hurt, deepily. He then added “We had grown close, too close. I don’t quite remember it, but I feel it. It’s just, we never told each other that we loved one another. I now wish I did.” “Damn. Sorry we asked Commander.” Jax said as Matthew saw the other two nod in the mirror.

“It’s fine. I just hope they are still alive and do remember us. Otherwise, I hope they are still alive at least.” Matthew said as they pulled up on the house. Him freezing at seeing the house was decaying. Him looking at a photo that had to be recent as he ordered the other to gear up now. The door was open and the house was just as bad as the outside. No furniture, no color, no signs of life as Matthew carefully swept the place before stopping in the master bedroom’s bathroom. The cabinet was open with a new box of plasters as he remembered a woman standing in the old sands of another dimension, pointing a gun at him. “You got Agent Drummer killed back then. I hate you and just want you to feel my pain over and over again till you break” she growled as sand swarmed around her, but he couldn’t recall her voice properly as the plasters covered a part of her chest and arm. He then snapped back as Lexi grabbed his shoulder.

“Commander, are you okay?” she asked, concerned as Matthew recorded his finding. It was a fake memory, but the feeling of it felt right. The woman had once hated him for his hand in her partner's death. It then clicked as he pulled out his cellphone to call Orchid. Another lead had been found.

It wasn’t the first time Henry had to do this kind of thing, but he never liked lying about it. It was a part of why he left the foundation years ago. He had never been a good secret keeper and had a terrible poker face. His wife was amazing with it; though their marriage was frowned upon by many in those days. Henry, as a researcher, understood why as his wife was a mobile task force member. Still they had gotten married before college and kept it alive through those years, so to work at the same company together was a dream.

It wasn’t grand, Henry would admit, but the pay was well and the benefits were beyond anything he would ever see again. He also had a decent amount of time to see his wife when she wasn’t on assignments or duty. She often shadowed him in the lab as he explained what he was looking at and for. She always took in every word and asked questions, which some of his colleagues would explain for him when he got caught up in something by accident.

Nothing was a problem for them till an O5 died of old age. Henry heard of these guys and had apparently meant one before, without knowing it back then, during his time there. The new O5 who was called O5-5 was a dick. Everyone thought they were trying to impress their peers, as he began to try to apply new rules. The rules were often being overturned by the ethics community as Henry found them to be unusual. They were trying to limit looking into the biology of certain scps that fell into certain areas of criteria.

A year later, Henry lost his wife during a routine run. An unusual accident his ass, as he found a few samples of Sarkic dna about the accident site. They about matched up to the standard Sarkic samples the foundation had on site which lead to investigation. That when O5-5 cracked down even harder than before. It wasn’t long before Henry had a hypothesis on why either.

Six months later, he was a part of the mobile task force as he conducted further investigations into his own theory within the ranks. He was rather surprised of how well he was a decent shot during training and that it was easy to catch on to things, even in the field. The team he was on was a back-up crew, but they helped with minor stuff like clean-up, item transfers, and GOIs deals. It was alright till O5-5 caught wind of him on the MTF. Restrictions began to appear, but often had to be ignored to do the job and with many angry phone calls to boot. Henry realized he needed to get out as he felt a noose begin to tighten around his neck. And that, he did.

Henry contacted the GOC in private down time. Them staging his death as he was taken to a base in England. He stuck around a few years with them, as the Foundation poked around for him or rather a close friend poked about for him. He knew why and got a message to her to keep her head low. He was dead and now under a new name. She did just that as Henry soon left England for America under a new identity. Him joining the UIU to at least keep an eye on the foundation from afar.

The UIU was not the best when Henry first arrived. It was a literal damn joke to almost everyone, but a few people. Even the director couldn’t give a crap and lost items all the time as Henry easily climbed ranks. Many CIA agents gave him shit over his serious attitude as he shrugged it off. At least till he got severely hurt after taking a certain phone call. Him asking for a team, but being denied even one person. The director even saying ‘it’s just a child screwing with you.’ Henry ignored him and went to the location alone.

It wasn’t a joke and his hypothesis about O5-5 was no longer a theory, but a fact. The smug bastard even saying his old name while he played dumb. Acting like he didn’t know what the man was talking about as Henry fought an unfair battle. Overran and out classed, Henry fell back on his plan C; Explosives. It worked in ruining the town’s infection, but not in destroying O5-5. 

The creature O5-5 truly was, crippled Henry’s leg painfully slow but didn’t get to finish as the explosion brought a few nearby town’s forces closer. A few foundation vehicles within them. He was whisked away as he told a fake statement to the local forces. Back at headquarters, he got to officially report his findings and shake things up for the UIU. It wasn’t instant, but over the course of 3 years, Henry became the head director.

His leg healed alright, but he needed a walking cane for the rest of his life. His field days were over. His eyes soon started to flatter from constantly working in low light as he got glasses while he made the UIU a respectable joke. Him using his past to make better connections to the Foundation and the GOC as he kept notes on O5-5 when he could. His evidence was still lacking for any confrontation. Still he had become rather untouchable for the O5 and he planned to keep it that way.

He then worked on finding people who had subtle abilities along with regular civilians who had met the unknown and wanted to help. It wasn’t always easy to get them onboard. Some refused outright, others were continuously pending, and some were right onboard. Henry couldn’t blame some for not wanting on, though it did sadden him when the Foundation took them in., but it was understandable. He just hoped to get 13 onboard, as she seemed nice according to Agent Drummer.

Two days later, Henry got to meet 13 face to face at a diner he fancied. She had traveled by bus out to meet him. Them talked as he studied her and her answers as 13 seemed to do the same thing back. By the end of it, she agreed to join under the condition that her privately would be completely respected. No prying, no digging. Henry agreed, but asked why the red tape. Her answer: Antarctica, Site 13.

That answer bothered Henry as the foundation, even to this date didn’t have a site 13 in Antarctica. That site was in North Virginia. Still he respected 13’s wishes as she knew nothing of his past. No one at the UIU knew of his past, so he had no right to demand an explanation. Besides it would come in time, as he cotton swabbed and fingerprinted her silverware and cup as she left the diner. He soon paid and left back to the apartment building that served as their base of operations.