"Hello, (Y/N)."

He leaned slightly on his cane as he spoke. Eyeing your trembling form. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared up at him. Shallow and dull, it came out choppy as you worked to keep air in your lungs as he stared down at you.

"And what were you up to?"

Your mouth went dry when he asked. Your mind rushing to try and calm down to think clearly despite the overwhelming feeling of dread that had now settled inside you. Taking a deep breath you forced yourself to do just that.

"Exploring the facility. I thought I could be more efficient if I was more- acquainted with your work."

"Exploring?" He asked, suddenly making you blink, the uncertainty lingering behind in your eyes. Begging to be shown no matter its results. He looked passed that however, his intense gaze burning through your mask of assurance.

"Yes. I told you yesterday that I wanted to be a part of your work. And I thought I could offer you more if I ensured I was more than knowledgeable about your experiment."

"Where?"

"Just the labs I felt most comfortable-" he wouldn't let you finish your sentence as you continued your excuse. Your heart raced. Your mind buzzing with an intense mixture of emotions and urgency. Urgency to stay strong underneath his gaze. And the pounding reality that your plans were diminished so quickly.

"So, you're going off on your own. Leaving dear old dad to fend for himself? Without saying a word?" He asked approaching you, leading you to back up deeper into the elevator. Beside you SCP-106 gurgled as it wasted no time to disappear through the floor. You didn't blame it; in fact, you wish you could do that yourself.

"I'm sorry! I was going to tell you about this soon," You said your frantic mind was loud as it pounded to get you to react in any means possible. Your confidence waning slowly at his expression. Memories pounding in the back of your mind. Your past crawling out inside your brain, snapping its sharp fangs, dying to make you suffer further from its loud implications that distorted your current reality.

You bit down on your cheek. Just waiting for his punishment. Your palms became sweaty from the thought of him locking you up again... Or worse...

His eyebrows furrowed at your apology. "Sorry... Sorry?? (Y/N). You have to know that nothing happens in this facility that I don't know about." His angered brow faltered a bit before he lit up, sending a chill down your spine. You shuttered, confused about his sudden shift in demeanor. Before you could bring yourself to speak again, he continued, startling you with his sudden loud voice.

"My goodness, (Y/N)! Who knew you were so invested in my work?!" He exclaimed, earning your response as you blinked at his words, taking in his gestures as he placed his hand on his chest. You opened your mouth only to immediately close it. Not knowing for sure how to respond to his sudden excitement.

"Oh honey! Dr. Snow told me everything!"

You stared at him before you answered. Checking his expression to see if his words were true. His eyes lit up when you met them.

"He did?"

"Yes! He saw you last night! He said that you showed a lot of interest in what I was doing and that you told him that yourself." You held your mouth shut thinking a silent thank you to Dr. Snow. You would need to thank him for that... You immediately began thinking of ways to make it up to him. "He told me this after dinner, but I didn't bring it up to you because I wanted to see if it was really true!" He explained. You relaxed slightly, nodding and forcing a smile.

"Yes. Of course it is. I wanted to see more and well- be a part of this as you said." You explained your gut twisting inside.

"This is just wonderful (Y/N)!" He approached you making you gasp as he pulled you into a hug. "I couldn't be prouder. I knew you would grow up into something special."

You tensed slightly at the contact. But quickly you returned the hug. Your heart still pounding in your chest from the stress. Pulling back, your father's smile stretched across his face.

"With that said, you have to tell me what all you are interested in and-" he paused his face falling sightly making a more serious expression. Your synthetic smile faltered at this.

"Actually. (Y/N). I'm sure that you are aware but it's not very safe out there alone. Dr. Snow mentioned that you seemed interested in SCP's and I can't exactly have you getting too close to any without my knowledge. I need you alive."

Your brow furrowed at his last sentence. Feeling uncomfortable with his choice of words and tone. Uncertain, you tried to push it aside as your father continued.

"So, I want you to stay here (Y/N). I'm glad that you're so curious. I value that curiosity myself." He began. His eyes stern. "But, From now on. You do not leave the mansion alone. At least not until you can have me or at least someone I authorize to be with you." He paused for a moment. His face contorting as his brow furrowed and face fell further. "Not only that. But (Y/N), you NEVER asked if you could leave."

Here it is... You thought, feeling yourself shrink. Delayed, but here. You took a deep breath bracing for whatever he had planned for you.

He grumbled something as he rubbed his forehead. You felt a hint of hope seep into your core. He didn't seem disappointed. If anything, he seemed conflicted by the way his eyes shot to the side contemplating what you could only guess to be your fate.

"But I can let that go." He said his voice smooth as he spoke. His large, mutilated hand rubbed his face. The golden wedding band being the only flicker of elegance against the scarred hand.

"On one condition."

______

Your room felt smaller than usual as you sat staring at the locked door. The artistically designed door frame of swirls and carved designs blocking you from SCP-049 and escaping this place. It was now locked just as it was the first night. Inaccessible to you despite the fact that you still held the keycard. You didn't think you could feel more uncomfortable in your room. As now your father had set SCP-106 to listen for your door opening. Watching from afar but it was still disconcerting to say the least.

You shifted in bed, placing the leather notebook on your table.

You were still stunned at what happened with your father. Yes. You were now again locked in your room, your keycard again deactivated until further notice. Not only that, but you were given more things to do now. Pushing the sheets away from your warm body you turned towards the leather notebook. Flipping it open and skimming through the blank lined pages inside.

"I forgot to give it too you before. But now that you are more interested in my work... I think we could both benefit from this." He explained holding out a notebook for you to take.

"Everything you dream. I want you to write in here in great detail (Y/N)."

You took in his instructions pondering the reasoning behind them.

"if you do this (Y/N), I will let this go and you will be by my side through this experiment. I may even give you full access once more. I just need you to help me with this one thing."

"Everything I dream?" You asked your face curious despite the growing uncertain buzz within your heart.

"Everything."

You weren't certain why he asked this of you. But he seemed all too interested and explained that it would help him immensely if you did. Your brow furrowed as you set both the pen and book back down on your bedside table. You couldn't help but feel unnerved by this request. You had your suspicions as to what could have possessed him to ask this of you, as well as the amount he was willing to overlook just for you to do this. But none of your solutions sat right with you, they all felt impossible, and in some cases, potentially too good to be true.

You would catch yourself daydreaming of these things. An excited feeling igniting inside you each time. You would want to write about your ideas and dreams. But each time it never seemed to work in your favor as your father would catch you. Just as he did earlier.

You laid down. Once again feeling that defeat. Sure, there was still hope. And absolutely it could have been so much worse. Your mind drifted back to SCP-049. You despised the thought of him being in any kind of pain again. You cringed at the thought. The reality causing you physical pain. The fact that he was alone in there when you told him you planned on returning tonight. You needed to get him out of there. No matter how difficult it became, you were going to hold true to that promise. You weren't going to give up yet. And assuming that your father would get his way and keep you glued to his side from here on out, you might need to adopt a different tactic instead of trying to escape with him so quickly. You thought for a while. Ideas coming to mind only for you to reassess their likelihood of success. But... If this was the rate things were going, maybe you needed those creative and crazy ideas that you were taught through life to squash. Ones that you thought were only locked inside your imagination. Just you sneaking out last night was a risky idea for you. But even with that fear that came along with it, it had felt refreshing. It felt as if you actually had a choice.

The longer you thought the more you remembered how you felt that night. When SCP-049 invited you to sit beside him. Your eyes closed at the feeling that thought gave you. You felt a warmth rise inside of your chest... Something that you hadn't felt in a long while. Your heartbeat rose... you tried ignore it. Pushing it aside, opening your eyes and letting your thoughts go back to rescuing him from this place.

Maybe you could figure something out with your father. Since he was shockingly... Reasonable. Whatever Dr. Snow told him... He both told on you yet somehow got you more on your father's side than you have ever been. Strangely enough.

As a child you usually stayed on that side. As you generally participated in everything he asked you to do. Yes, you tried to fight against him at times, but you had learned not to.

Yet here you were going against everything you had ever been taught to be for an SCP.

Well, perhaps it was more than that. Yes SCP-049 and SCP-860-3 had a huge influence in your current decisions. You had intrinsic motivation as well, as deep down you strived to help others even when that seemed to be a hindrance to your father. Even when it could hurt you. But they now felt more important. The outside world felt more and more important to you.

Now that you had a choice. If truly you could chose what you gave up your future for.

______

It was cold when you awoke. Silent with only the sound of distant crickets chirping from deep within the forest behind you. You stood just before a city. It was large, but empty. Not a single soul inside. Squinting you began to recognize the city. Andset City. It was shockingly close to the SCP foundation, only about 6 hours away.

You could feel a pull. Something taking you away from that city. A warning, you recognized the city, but you couldn't place a name. Nor could you fully recognize any of the buildings standing high above you and seemingly touching the clouds.

The pull returned, calling you to turn and wander into the forest instead. Listening to the call you turned away heading inside the dense woods. It was green, lush, and beautiful. The grass beneath your feet squished as you took each step. Your body acted on its own. Yet with each step you felt more inclined to continue. You chose this even if you weren't certain where you were going. You were deep enough that the city had vanished behind you.

The night sky was a deep blue the stars peaked through the trees as you continued. You took a breath, savoring the beauty of it all. Your eyes closed as you enjoyed the solitude you had been denied for so long.

You enjoyed that feeling and very few people could ever act as a comfort for you and not disrupt your peace. Only one had you ever met. As ironic as it sounded you missed him beside you. You opened your eyes as you felt his presence. Turning around you smiled, preparing to greet him.

Your smile faltered. There was no one there.

All at once the soothing atmosphere broke. Behind you the grass was now severed. Your feet stood at the edge of a scar ripping through the grass and dirt. A brown trail contrasting against the perfectly green grass. Your eyes followed the trench until a new structure caught your eye. Dark billows of smoke rising from its broken windows it had its doors sealed shut. The helicopter laid on its side, the left side partially submerged into the Earth. Its blades stuck inside the ground.

Taking a step forwards, you investigated the machine. Scanning over every dent and crevice. One of the doors was missing, its remnants were stuck inside a tree. Your face fell when a noise came from the rubble. A pained groan calling out of the wreck.

You picked up the pace getting close enough to peer inside of the one intact window. Your eyes widened at the face you were met with. It lay on its side trapped underneath a metal bar. Its white mask reflected bright against the sunlight flickering inside the window.

"SCP-035?"

It didn't respond. It forced its head up and began to push in the metal bar above it. The sound of scraping metal could be heard as it pushed against the bar. You reached for the door handle in an attempt to help it. You flinched when your hand went through the metal. You tried again but everything you touched you phased through.

Grunting, it forced the metal bar off of itself. Slowly it sat up, rubbing its forehead as it scanned what was left of the helicopter. Once sitting up your brow furrowed when you realized its outfit changed. Now he was in one of chaos guard's uniforms, not only that but he seemed to be shorter this time.

Finally, he looked out the window where you stood. He looked right through you as if you weren't there. Moving towards it he messed with the door trying to force it open.

"Dammit... Open." He grumbled as he fought against it.

In moments he was staring though the window again startling you, making you feel invisible as he looked down away from your face. In that moment the world around you began to turn foggy and distant.

"Oh, hello." He- it suddenly said. It didn't sound like it was talking to you. "Could you do me a favor? You see I'm stuck inside here and-" his voice slowly drifted away as you were pulled away from this consciousness.

Backing up, you watched the scene play out confused but concerned. Your attention was pulled away from the door when you heard footsteps. Sounding young and small you turned around to find their source. They were invisible to you until they stood before the helicopter. It began to fog but you could barely make out the silhouette of a child beside the helicopter. They were a blur now, both the young child and the helicopter. The child placing their hands on the window of the helicopter before disappearing.

___________

Your eyes snapped open when that surreal feeling reentered your body. Forcing you to shutter as you lay inside your bed. Your brow furrowed as you recalled your dream. The entire thing playing through your mind. It felt strange to think about... You used to think about it, frequently in fact. The premonition that you felt after many of your dreams. You used to write them down as your father had you do now.

Picking up your journal you began.

____________

The smile didn't leave your fathers face as he read and reread the journal.

"This is wonderful, (Y/N)!" He exclaimed as he looked from you to the journal.

"This is just what we needed. In fact... This changes our schedule today drastically."

"How so?" You asked your stomach turning at the unknown.

"Well for starters I need to do what all my men have failed to. Continue to grow my collection. And thanks to you I may."

Your eyes widened at him as you took in what he was saying. Your mind racing to come to a conclusion as to what he means. Deep down you knew, you just refused to believe it.

"That is not the only good news though, I have more for us to do today. We are leaving." He said standing to his feet abandoning the deep red chair underneath him.

"Wait... What?"

"Yes! I'm taking you with me on a mission. I figure it is only natural saying that you have shown so much interest." He explained. "But in doing this we have to take multiple things into consideration. I can't have anything happen to you."

He held up the journal. "Especially now that you are showing such promise."

"If you truly want to help me in the ways I want you to, I need to ensure your safety on missions as well as any own. You know how well SCP-106 is at protecting myself." He cleared his throat. "And if what Dr. Snow explained to me was true you will like this (Y/N)."

_______

You walked fast behind your father, your eyes justifiably hopeful as he stopped at the familiar lab. This could help you. It could save him. You could save him.

"Now (Y/N) I assume you understand the terms of me allowing you to begin to use an SCP to assist you. It would act as a bodyguard per say. But only in authorized times."

You nodded up at him. "I know." He had informed you heavily that it was only to be used to assist you, protect you and or assist your father in some way. It sounded as if you would be tasked with controlling it to an extent as well...

"Very good. Now, I cannot have you running around with just anything. I wrote you a list of options a few days ago. Assuming that you would come around like I knew you would." He said shooting you a wink. "These show promise and seem to actually be helpful in the sense of the purposes we need." He explained handing you the list. A folded piece of paper he had kept in his breast pocket.

Wasting no time, you unfolded the paper skimming through searching for any sign of SCP-049. Your face fell when you were met with a row of unfamiliar numbers. You bit your cheek, rereading the list in hopes you had just missed him somehow.

Your face must have told on the needles crawling inside your stomach and chest because your father continued.

"This is only the beginning of your options, however. These are only the ones to begin with, I'm aware that there may be more."

You sighed feeling a bit of relief. "So, may I add more options?"

"Depends."

"What would it depend on?"

"My approval."

Your eyes traveled to the side, taking in what he had said. Maybe you could potentially convince him, especially if he thought that you would feel more engaged in his work. If he was truly wanting to grow your 'interest' that is.

"Alright..."

_____