Chapter 73: Black Bolt Is in Custody? The End of Attilan!
The audience in the live broadcast room, still busy guessing the Angel's identity, was left speechless.
They had guessed everything from fiery angels to strange winged creatures—
All wrong?
"Angel of Ten Thousand Wings"—did it literally mean ten thousand wings?
Could a bizarre creature made entirely of wings still be called an angel?
Despite the shock, as new information appeared, everyone's attention quickly shifted.
[X-rays revealed that the wings have a hollow bone structure, similar to that of birds, but the bones are extremely flexible and durable, allowing the wings to bend and curl in ways no vertebrate has ever achieved.]
[At the core is a large humanoid creature curled in a fetal position, with all the wings connected to its spine.]
[SCP-469 feeds exclusively on sound and sound waves, using the energy to regenerate and grow its wings and feathers. The louder and higher the frequency, the faster SCP-469 grows.]
[Due to the sound-absorbing structure of its feathers, SCP-469 itself emits no sound.]
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
As the new data appeared, a terrifying image formed in the agents' minds—
A giant humanoid being covered entirely in wings.
They exchanged uneasy glances.
"No wonder the doctor kept emphasizing that no sound should be made..." Natasha Romanoff muttered in shock.
"This thing literally feeds on sound!"
Nick Fury, standing nearby, wore a grim expression.
As Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., his first thought was always the same—
How dangerous is the object, and how difficult is it to contain?
This "Angel of Ten Thousand Wings" could grow endlessly as long as there was sound.
If it appeared on Earth, wouldn't it be capable of infinite growth?
Eventually, even without doing anything, the sheer volume of wings could bring about catastrophic destruction.
"No wonder it's Keter-level," Fury said under his breath.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
"Feeds on sound and keeps growing? What a coincidence..."
Professor X's mind instantly brought up the image of Black Bolt.
That man could level cities with his voice. If the two met...
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and focused back on the screen.
[Any creature that approaches or touches the surface of SCP-469 will be quickly engulfed by its wings.]
[Though the feathers appear soft, the tips are incredibly sharp. They pierce clothing and skin easily, injecting a neurotoxin that triggers extreme pain while keeping the victim alive to scream longer.]
[These screams further feed SCP-469 until the victim dies of shock. So far, four victims have perished this way.]
[Attempts to destroy SCP-469 have all failed. A flamethrower was counterproductive—the noise made it grow faster. Close-range shears led to the deaths of two agents.]
The chat in the live stream exploded.
"WTF? What kind of terrifying power is this?"
"Poison that forces you to scream until you die? That's twisted!"
"It's a Keter-level anomaly, what did you expect?"
"Another unkillable freak… people in this world have it rough."
S.H.I.E.L.D.
"It's obvious. The toxin makes victims scream, just to feed it more," Nick Fury said grimly.
"Don't forget—this thing doesn't eat people. It eats sound."
"Screaming until you die of shock..." Natasha turned pale. "What a horrible way to go."
She stared at the screen, uneasy. "If it's so dangerous, why does the Foundation even collect its feathers?"
"Precisely because it's dangerous," Fury replied. "They have to deal with it."
For the first time, the bald, old-fashioned doctor on the screen didn't seem so annoying to him.
Kamar-Taj
"Thankfully, it's not a divine entity... or a god," the Ancient One sighed in relief.
But his expression quickly darkened. "It can't be executed… this thing's a time bomb."
After all, who could guarantee absolute silence?
Even if humans remained quiet, nature wouldn't comply.
The document ended, but for James and the rest of the research team, the real danger was just beginning.
Wearing standard soundproof and anti-vibration suits, the team prepared to approach SCP-469.
These suits were capable of absorbing and canceling out surrounding sound.
Still, one researcher, Walter, looked pale as a sheet.
"Walter, are you okay?" the bald doctor asked, frowning. "If you're not ready, you can sit this out."
"No, Doctor, I'm fine." Walter swallowed hard, forcing a shaky smile.
With final preparations complete, the team entered SCP-469's containment room.
From the outside, it resembled a giant crystal coffin.
Inside, SCP-469's enormous form nearly filled the entire space.
Wings wrapped around wings, overlapping endlessly. Its true body was buried so deep in the feathers, it was impossible to see.
Even asleep, the angel radiated a divine glow.
Inside and outside the screen, everyone held their breath—dreading even the tiniest sound.
The lead doctor gently lifted one feather using a special tool.
Then—
Ding-ling-ling~
Ding-ling-ling~
A phone suddenly rang from inside Walter's suit.
All the researchers froze.
Cardiac arrest.
Normally, it would be just an ordinary ringtone.
But now, it sounded like a death knell.
The live audience collectively shuddered.
This is bad.
The next moment,
The angel awakened.
Wings exploded outward, feathers flooding the room like a tidal wave.
Cracks spread across the transparent containment walls.
Boom, boom!
That was the sound of walls breaking...
And everyone's hearts pounding in terror.
"No, no, it wasn't me—I—" Walter clutched the phone, face deathly pale.
He stared at the expanding wings, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
"Ahhh!!!"
His screams shattered the silence James and the others had fought to maintain.
Boom!
SCP-469's body suddenly expanded!
A single thought echoed in a researcher's mind—
Run!
Panic overtook the team as they bolted for the containment chamber exit.
Behind them,
SCP-469 surged awake, wings unfurling like armor.
The audience watching the live stream was left speechless.
Then, comment after comment flooded in:
"WTF? How did that guy mess up this badly?!"
"Did it just go full boss fight mode in under ten seconds?!"
"That growth rate is insane!"
"If this thing showed up on Earth, it could destroy a city in minutes…"
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury stared at the screen, stunned.
Such a small mistake led to a full containment breach.
"Keter-level containment... really leaves no room for error," he muttered.
But his attention shifted to the Foundation's next move.
Then—
SCP-469's wings wrapped around Walter and injected venom.
Walter's agonized screams echoed throughout the entire facility.
Surprisingly, SCP-469 didn't attack James and the others.
Instead, it suddenly flung its wings wide and took off.
The containment room ceiling shattered as feathers exploded upward.
Da-da-da!
Da-da-da!
Security teams on the ground opened fire.
Bullets formed a storm of lead, but as they struck the feathers, they simply lost momentum and dropped.
While bullets didn't hurt 469 directly, they did knock feathers loose.
Horrifyingly, even detached feathers retained their poison—
Touching one meant instant paralysis or death.
Still, SCP-469 didn't retaliate.
Once on the roof, it lifted both arms, then launched into the air!
Whoosh!
Wings thundered, sending shockwaves through the facility.
It ascended like a missile.
So fast that human eyes could barely follow.
James and his team, arriving at the surface, found only a devastated facility.
The entire rooftop looked like it had been hit by a storm of shredded fabric.
In the distance, an agent cursed:
"Damn! That thing's flying at over 1,200 miles per hour!"
1,200 mph?!
James looked up—SCP-469 was already a speck in the sky.
With each flap, it climbed higher—
But also shed more feathers.
"Wait..." James narrowed his eyes. "Something's wrong."
Sure enough, by the third wingbeat, it slowed dramatically.
By the fifth, it had lost over 50% of its feathers—and began to fall.
Desperately, it flapped harder, trying to stay airborne—
Too late.
Boom!
It crashed.
James and the others raced to the crash site.
There they found SCP-469, barely recognizable.
It had lost nearly 80% of its feathers—and its strength.
"No matter how many wings you have, the Foundation will contain you," the bald doctor said coldly.
Nick Fury, watching from SHIELD, suddenly understood.
So that's why the Foundation allowed so many people near a Keter-class entity.
They had already planned for a breach.
They knew exactly what to do.
Fury glanced up at the sky, as if searching for the unseen force behind it all.
Ultimately, SCP-469 was recaptured without resistance and moved to a temporary unit until the original chamber could be repaired.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
Only when SCP-469 was finally secured again did Professor X breathe a sigh of relief.
The breach had been short-lived, but devastating.
If the angel hadn't been trying to escape rather than destroy, casualties would've been much higher.
Still reeling from the event, Professor X heard footsteps behind him.
"Professor, something happened in Attilan."