Dawn shattered with a roar—louder than Sentinels, more primal. Bill bolted outside, Iron Man's HUD flaring—Massive energy spike detected. Controlled mutants swarmed, fifty strong, led by a Trask enforcer in a hulking mech, drones buzzing overhead. But something else moved—a pale, skeletal figure, seven feet tall, face obscured, shambling behind. Bill's comics and SCP knowledge collided—SCP-096, the Shy Guy. Trask had weaponized it, a nightmare unleashed when seen."Clara, Lily, bunker—now!" Bill shouted, Steve crafting a dirt wall as drones fired. Clara grabbed her spear, Lily's fire igniting the moat, but the mutants pressed—telekinetics ripping turrets, brutes smashing stone.The enforcer's voice boomed: "The antidote's ready—submit, or this ends you."Bill's fear spiked, comics' mutant purges flashing—then dread, deeper, at SCP-096's presence.
The system responded:
"New Template Unlocked: SCP-096. Unstoppable rage triggered by observation. Warning: Extreme caution—host visibility activates pursuit."He hesitated—SCP-096 was a double-edged blade—but a telekinetic grabbed Lily, dragging her from the bunker. Clara screamed, spear flying, and Bill's resolve snapped. He triggered it—skin paling, limbs elongating, a howl tearing from his throat. The telekinetic looked—and SCP-096's rage ignited.Bill moved—faster than SCP-173, a blur of fury—smashing the telekinetic into pulp, Lily tumbling free. "Don't look!" he roared, voice distorted, knowing one glance from Clara or Lily would turn him on them. He faced the horde, eyes down—mutants stared, and he struck, claws rending, bones snapping, unstoppable. Drones fired; he leapt, crushing them midair, rage fueling every move.The enforcer laughed, mech launching missiles—Bill swapped to Iron Man, repulsors deflecting, then Steve, crafting TNT to blast the mech's legs. SCP-173 flickered—unseen, he snapped a brute's neck—then back to SCP-096 as a speedster gawked, torn apart in seconds.Lily's fire surged, melting a drone, Clara spearing a mutant—Bill's family fought, but SCP-096 loomed near them. "Eyes shut!" he yelled, switching to Steve, building a blind—dirt walls to block their view. The enforcer aimed at it—Bill roared, SCP-096 charging, mech crumpling under relentless blows. The Shy Guy's wail pierced the air, mutants fleeing, drones crashing.The enforcer retreated, mech smoking, SCP-096's template fading as Bill collapsed—human again, panting. Clara and Lily rushed him, eyes wide but safe. "Bill, what was that?" Clara gasped."A monster," he said, hugging them. "One I can use."The haven stood—walls breached, moat dim—but intact. The system hummed:
"Host emotional state: Exhausted but victorious. New template mastered: SCP-096. Haven damage: Severe. Objective: Rebuild, counter SCP threats."Bill surveyed the wreckage—Trask's antidote, now SCPs in play. Comics' chaos met SCP's terror, but Clara and Lily were alive. "We'll fix it," he said, voice steel. "They won't break us."