Chapter 84 Global Panic—The Nations Tremble Before SCP-008!

At NBC’s headquarters in New York, mass-produced flesh-and-metal Iron Man suits had occupied every position inside and outside the building.

Large numbers of parasitized Blackwatch soldiers guarded the television station.

Most of NBC’s employees had already been infected by the parasites.

The few who remained human had been spared only because the mutated Obadiah—now encased in an oversized suit of Mark I–derived armor—had ordered it.

Inside the studio, parasitized soldiers watched everyone closely.

Most of the cameraman’s colleagues had already become mutated hosts. Trembling beneath the soldiers’ gaze, he reluctantly activated the cameras.

Obadiah stood silently before them.

He wore the Iron Monger armor built from stolen Mark I technology. His helmet concealed his face completely.

“Three… two… one… We’re live.”

At that moment, everyone watching NBC or browsing YouTube saw the same broadcast.

“Good evening, America!”

“As you can see, I survived the federal government’s decapitation strike.”

“I have mastered the Great Father’s blessing and obtained the power of what you call SCP-008.”

“To repay the federal government for its kindness, I have decided to let bygones be bygones.”

“With unparalleled generosity, I shall allow every one of you to receive the Great Father’s blessing, just as I have!”

“You hypocrites in the federal government, your hideous allies, and all you foolish humans…”

“Soon, you will become glorious beings blessed by the Great Father!”

The broadcast switched to another scene.

Beneath dark clouds, a snow-covered city appeared on the screen.

“Do you see it?”

“This is Jersey City.”

“Now, as the representative of a great and perfect creation, I shall bestow its blessing and glorious evolution upon this city!”

Obadiah released a distorted, sinister laugh.

“Soon, insignificant humans, all of you shall receive the Great Father’s blessing!”

A colossal beam of blue light descended from the heavens and struck the satellite city across the river from New York.

There was no explosion.

Instead, the blue radiance appeared to tear open the fabric of reality itself.

Energy flashed violently before disappearing.

In the center of Jersey City, a colossal, twisted mass of flesh materialized.

It rapidly consumed everything around it, spreading outward until it had attached itself to every building within a five-kilometer radius.

“Perhaps many of you already recognize me.”

“I am Obadiah Stane, former director of Stark Industries and a wanted fugitive of the federal government.”

A massive flesh hive rapidly took shape.

A crimson biological carpet spread from its base, clinging to every road, wall, and structure it touched.

Blood-colored mist flooded the city.

Every unprotected living creature that inhaled it began screaming.

Blood poured from their eyes and mouths as their bodies convulsed violently.

Moments later, they transformed into horrifying mutated creatures.

Obadiah’s distorted and immensely satisfied voice played over the footage.

“Do you see it now?”

“This is the Great Father’s blessing!”

“Welcome to your glorious evolution!”

“Soon, I shall wield the authority bestowed upon me by the Great Father and command the army of the dead to devour the entire United States—and then the world!”

“This is the price you will pay!”

Countless zombies and mutated creatures surged out of the newly formed hive.

The densely packed horde sent chills through everyone watching.

At that moment, the entire world witnessed Jersey City’s instantaneous corruption.

“Fuck! How is that possible?!”

“Obadiah actually controls SCP-008’s power?”

Nick Fury hurled the pen in his hand against his desk.

He slammed both hands down furiously.

“Damn him!”

Pierce was equally horrified.

He stared at the terrifying weapon that had distorted space and corrupted an entire city in an instant.

Strictly speaking, this attack was more frightening than a nuclear weapon.

Even humanity’s most powerful nuclear warhead could not completely erase a city and kill every person inside it.

Yet Obadiah, who claimed to wield SCP-008’s authority, had accomplished exactly that with ease.

Pierce immediately understood the severity of the situation.

HYDRA wanted to rule the world.

It had never intended to exterminate humanity.

Obadiah, however, appeared determined to destroy the entire human race.

He had even annihilated a city during a live global broadcast.

The question was—how long would it be before he attacked a second city?

Had that attack come from a satellite-based orbital weapon?

Or had something else caused it?

Even S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA trembled before this terrifying power.

It had infected and corrupted an entire city in an instant, transforming it into a paradise for mutated organisms.

If Obadiah attacked several of America’s most important cities in succession, he could completely destroy the country.

By then, even nuclear weapons might be unable to stop the infection from spreading.

After all, much of a nuclear weapon’s lethality came from radiation, while its most devastating direct effects were concentrated within only a few kilometers of the detonation point.

Radiation was exceptionally lethal to ordinary humans.

But would it kill those infected creatures?

Could a nuclear weapon truly destroy a hive like that?

How many warheads would be required to eliminate a single mutated hive?

And what would happen if Obadiah created several more?

Nick Fury and Alexander Pierce were completely overwhelmed.

One was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The other was HYDRA’s highest-ranking infiltrator within the organization.

Yet both men now felt a profound sense of helplessness.

At this point, perhaps they could only place their hopes in one organization—

The Foundation.

Inside the Strategic Homeland Division’s fortified farmhouse bunker, General Ryan calmly ended another emergency call.

The highest levels of the federal government and military had completely lost their composure.

They were urgently asking whether the Foundation could stop Obadiah from destroying the world.

President Adam Benford had personally called General Ryan shortly before.

Ryan gave him an affirmative answer, finally easing some of the president’s anxiety.

Benford’s phone had already been overwhelmed by calls from allied governments and leaders of other nations.

Every country that verified the authenticity of the footage was horrified.

Previously, as the United States appeared to be heading toward collapse, most countries had conserved their strength and watched from the sidelines.

Some had even taken pleasure in America’s misfortune.

Now, none of them could remain seated.

The United States had failed to kill Obadiah and allowed him to seize control of something so dangerous.

For the first time, the people of the world had witnessed the truly terrifying destructive power of an anomaly.

In an instant, SCP-008 had created a colossal hive capable of infecting an entire city.

Was this the power anomalies possessed?

Everyone recalled the earlier stories about the Foundation.

Could the Foundation truly contain something so terrifying?

Meanwhile, aboard the Retribution, Ethan watched his Rumor Points skyrocket beyond anything he had previously imagined.

[Ding! Obadiah used SCP-008’s power to destroy a city, shocking the entire United States. You have received 5,000,000 Rumor Points.]

[Ding! Footage of Obadiah using SCP-008 to destroy a city has spread rapidly, shocking every NATO member state. You have received 10,000,000 Rumor Points.]

[Ding! Footage of Obadiah using SCP-008 to destroy a city has caused worldwide panic. You have received 15,000,000 Rumor Points.]

[Congratulations! Achievement unlocked: Global Panic!]