True Identity // A Socksfor1 Horror AU

Prologue [RW]

I turned and entered the control room, a clipboard in hand and a few MTF guards accompanying me. I had insisted I could do the test without guard, but it was strictly instructed that all personnel here to test this anomaly must have at least two guards, so not too much I could do about it.

I walked to the window, four full inches of bulletproof glass separating the guards and I from the room in which the anomaly resided. The anomaly itself sat in a corner in a sad, sitting position. It didn't move. Anyone could have thought it to be dead, but all of us know this has been normal behavior for the past few weeks.

Since 541-B died, my thoughts added. The two had been connected before arrival here, so it wasn't much of a surprise that it was grieving the loss of the younger anomaly.

I tapped on the glass to get its attention, grabbing a small microphone from the table surface by the window. "SCP-541? We are going to run some tests today."

No response. I huffed. Must it be so difficult?

I tried again. "SCP-541, please respond when I speak to you."

Still nothing. I rolled my eyes and set the microphone down, scribbling some notes down on my clipboard.

I looked up and cried out in surprise. Bright red pupils stared at me, mere dots in a black, gooey mass. One of its tentacles was pressed to the glass, leaving a streak of black slime that oozed from its place on the window like blood from a small wound.

I breathed a sigh. It's never breached before. I doubt it will anytime soon, I reassured myself.

I punched in a few buttons on the dashboard on the table, picking up the microphone and speaking in it once again. "SCP-541, like I said, we are going to run some tests. Know that we are not intentionally acting to neutralize you, but only experimenting to see how you react to certain things. Do you understand?"

It blinked, not really giving much response. What'd I expect? I muttered my annoyance to myself, clicking a few buttons on the panel in front of me.

Turning the heat to 200 degrees Celsius...

The anomaly looked around in its chamber, surprised at the sudden change in heat. It seemed to yelp or cry, the sound gargled apparently from its now melting mouth. It curled up into a ball, wrapping its tentacles around itself to protect itself from the oncoming heat. The whole time I watched, scribbling notes onto the clipboard in interest.

It seems that its weakness is immense amounts of heat. That's good to know.

I turned the heat back down, setting the room to a more freezing temperature. 541 growled at me through the glass, sulking to the corner to regenerate itself in the cold.

I finished my notes and set the clipboard aside. A successful test, in my eyes. Now we know it's not entirely immortal.

The lights, oddly, seemed to flicker for a moment. Again 541 was against the glass, this time its eyes visibly showing its irritation. It bared its teeth, sharp and pointed. For tearing through meat and flesh. I shivered at the thought, holding the anomaly's gaze before turning away. The two guards behind me were also staring at the creature, both seeming unsure if the room would hold it.

I wasn't worried until I heard a small crack.

I froze, the sound ringing in my mind. It was such a sudden sound, I could have imagined it. I imagined that, right?

Slowly I turned around, my eyes searching the window until I heard another crack. Now it was visible - the glass was obviously disturbed by 541's tentacles, which were pressed against the glass once more. Was that a smile I saw on its face?

Another crack.

And another.

And another.

It was enjoying this. My feet were frozen to the ground with fear, no matter how much I willed them to move. I couldn't take my eyes away from the growing disturbance in the formerly near impossible to break glass window.

And suddenly shards flew across the room.

I didn't hesitate any longer, whatever feeling bound my feet to the ground letting go and allowing me to sprint away. The guards took out their guns and opened fire, one with bullets and the other having a tranq gun. Neither did anything from what I saw. I was barely halfway down the hall when their screams came and went without warning.

Still I ran, my feet pounding the ground. This isn't good, this isn't good, where's the alarm?!

The sounds of the anomaly were silent behind me. I paused and turned around to see if it was following me.

Nothing.

I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

Where is-

I was violently thrust from my thoughts by a slimy tendril slamming me against the wall. My breath was knocked from my chest, and I felt an agonizing pain shoot through my skull. My ears rang, my vision blurred and spinning. A black form stood over me, much taller than me by far even if I was standing. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision. Whether I was hallucinating or not, I couldn't tell, but 541 seemed disappear as I blinked.

Before I could really process what was happening, the surroundings faded to black.

-

I opened my eyes, then shut them again.

What the hell...

I opened them again. It was dark. I knew my eyes were open, but it was as if I was seeing the back of my eyelids still.

Slowly I got up, shaking my head in confusion. Is this death? Did it kill me?

It was silent. I looked around, wary. Sounds were distant, faint, and echoing around like I was a drunk in the middle of chaos. People yelling, alarms blaring. Someone telling me something, I faintly heard my name. Followed by a pained scream.

What the hell is this-

Something slimy slipped over my mouth. I exclaimed, my cry muffled and gargled by the tendril restricting my speech.

"Shhh," a voice hushed me from behind. I broke into a cold sweat, my heart dropping into my stomach. It had been weeks since the anomaly had spoken to anyone, but I knew its voice. And it was terrifying.

"Don't worry," SCP-541 said, a deep conscience twisted into my mind like an evil parasite. "You're safe here for now. I just wanted to thank you."

I wanted to ask what it was talking about, but it finished its sentence anyway.

"Thank you for giving me a vessel."

-

And so it begins.

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