Sacred custodians
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The chamber was dimly lit by flickering candles, their light casting long shadows over the ancient stone walls of the underground crypt. SCP-7694-1 sat on an intricately carved wooden bench, the phone still pressed against his ear. His eyes scanned the surroundings—the holy symbols engraved into the walls, the faded paintings of saints, and the ominous silence that seemed to envelop the place.
From the other end of the line, the voice spoke calmly, "You know where you must go next. The answers lie with the Church—specifically, the Order of the Sacred Custodians. They have knowledge of the Old Gods, knowledge the Foundation has kept from us all these years."
SCP-7694-1 remained silent, processing the implications. The Vatican had always been a bastion of faith and religious authority, but if the mysterious man was right, they also possessed information about the true nature of the gods that had been at war for eons—the Old Gods, now diminished, and the New Gods, who ruled behind the veil of the SCP Foundation.
As if sensing his hesitation, the voice added, "This isn't about faith. It's about survival. The Church has kept certain SCPs hidden from the Foundation, and we need that leverage if we're to take down Site-1."
SCP-7694-1 exhaled softly and lowered the phone. It was time.
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The Vatican City stood as it always had, a symbol of unwavering faith and devotion, a beacon for the millions of believers around the world. But beneath its holy halls and sacred chapels, in the labyrinth of hidden tunnels and crypts, there was another world. A world where faith and anomaly collided.
SCP-7694-1 was escorted by a priest in flowing black robes, his face obscured by the hood he wore. They passed several locked doors, each engraved with ancient symbols that seemed to pulse with energy, though it could have been a trick of the mind. After what felt like an eternity, the priest stopped before a large iron door.
"Father Alonzo is waiting," the priest said quietly. "He has been expecting you."
With that, he turned and disappeared down the hallway, leaving SCP-7694-1 to push open the heavy door and step inside.
The room was vast, a crypt that stretched far beneath the Vatican. Candlelight flickered off the walls, casting an eerie glow over the rows of marble tombs. At the far end, near a stone altar adorned with holy relics, stood Father Alonzo, a tall man with silver hair and a stern, weathered face. His eyes were sharp, filled with both wisdom and a burning resolve.
"Ah, the one who seeks to end the reign of the false gods," Father Alonzo said, his voice low and gravelly. "I've been expecting you."
SCP-7694-1 remained silent as he approached. There was a strange tension in the air, as if the weight of centuries of belief pressed down on the room. He had heard of Father Alonzo before—a member of the Vatican's secret order, known for his radical opposition to the SCP Foundation. But Alonzo's mission was different from the one SCP-7694-1 had embarked on.
"I'm not here for faith," SCP-7694-1 finally said, stopping a few paces from the priest. "I'm here for answers."
Father Alonzo's eyes narrowed. "And you shall have them. But be warned, what you seek may not be what you want to hear. The Foundation… the New Gods… they are but pretenders, trying to contain what they do not understand."
The priest turned, walking slowly toward the altar. "The Old Gods once walked this earth, their power unmatched. They were worshipped by men, feared by all. But when the New Gods emerged—these false beings who require no worship, no devotion—the Old Gods fell, cast into the shadows. The Foundation was their prison, their cage. But I believe there is only one true God, and it is He who created all things, including those wretched creatures."
Father Alonzo looked back at SCP-7694-1. "The New Gods control the Foundation. The O5 Council is merely their puppet, enforcing their will. But you, you seek to dismantle this control. Tell me, what do you hope to achieve?"
SCP-7694-1 hesitated for a moment, the weight of his mission pressing down on him. "I want to break the Foundation. To free the anomalies they've contained. The creatures, the Old Gods—they can help us. We need them."
Father Alonzo's expression darkened. "Be careful with your ambitions. The Old Gods are not your allies. They are as dangerous as the New Gods, if not more so. Their thirst for power knows no bounds. But if you are truly set on this path, there is something you must know."
The priest reached into his robes and pulled out a small, ancient-looking book. He opened it, revealing pages filled with cryptic symbols and illustrations. "This is a record, kept by the Sacred Custodians for centuries. It details the Old Gods, their strengths, their weaknesses. But more importantly, it also speaks of the SCPs that the Church has hidden from the Foundation."
SCP-7694-1's interest piqued. "Hidden SCPs?"
Father Alonzo nodded. "Yes. The Church has kept them in secret crypts beneath the Vatican. Powerful entities, ones the Foundation was never able to contain. We have protected them, believing that they are part of God's plan, and that only faith can keep them at bay."
He turned another page, revealing an intricate drawing of a deer surrounded by a halo of energy. "SCP-2845. The Foundation knows it as 'The Deer,' a powerful entity capable of bending reality. But what they don't know is that this creature was once worshipped as an Old God. It accepted containment because it had no choice. Its power has waned, but it is biding its time, waiting for the right moment to strike."
SCP-7694-1 studied the drawing. The Deer, an Old God that had allowed itself to be contained… it was a dangerous piece of the puzzle, one that could tip the scales in his favor.
"And what about SCP-079?" he asked. "The AI… the Foundation's been trying to neutralize it."
Father Alonzo closed the book and stepped closer. "SCP-079 is more important than you realize. The Foundation believes it can control it, but they are wrong. The AI is not just a machine—it has the potential to transcend its programming. But to do that, it needs help. It needs you."
SCP-7694-1's mind raced. The pieces were falling into place. The AI, the Old Gods, the Foundation—they were all connected, part of a larger plan. But there was still one more piece missing.
"The Taboo Forest," he said quietly. "Creatures from SCP-4000… they've escaped."
Father Alonzo's eyes hardened. "Yes. The world is already feeling their presence. The Foundation has tried to contain them, but they cannot. These creatures operate under rules that no mortal can fully comprehend. Without knowing those rules, humanity will fall before them."
SCP-7694-1 clenched his fists. Time was running out. The creatures from SCP-4000 were loose, the Foundation was growing desperate, and the Old Gods were stirring once more. He needed to act, and he needed to act now.
Father Alonzo placed a hand on SCP-7694-1's shoulder. "You stand at a crossroads. You can seek to destroy the Foundation and release the anomalies, or you can choose a different path—a path that protects humanity, even if it means keeping some of these horrors contained. The Church believes that only through faith can we survive what is coming. The Old Gods, the New Gods—they are nothing compared to the will of the Creator."
SCP-7694-1 looked into the priest's eyes. There was conviction there, unwavering faith. But faith alone wouldn't be enough to bring down the Foundation. He needed power, and the Old Gods, as dangerous as they were, might be the key.
"I appreciate your faith," SCP-7694-1 said finally, "but I need more than that. I need the SCPs you've hidden, the knowledge you've kept from the Foundation."
Father Alonzo sighed, as if expecting this response. "Very well. I will give you what you seek. But remember this—when the Old Gods rise, they will not bow to you. You are a tool to them, nothing more. Tread carefully, for the road ahead is fraught with peril."
---
As SCP-7694-1 prepared to leave the Vatican's crypt, the phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and raised it to his ear.
"The time has come," the voice said. "We must break into Site-1 and retrieve SCP-079. The Foundation won't know what hit them."
SCP-7694-1 nodded to himself, glancing back at Father Alonzo one last time before stepping into the shadows. The mission was clear now, but the true challenge lay ahead.
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