UIU File: 2014-158 (OPERATION: VENENUM)

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⚠️ Content warning: This article contains depictions of human trafficking, consumption of bodily fluids, body horror, torture, and is also just really gross.

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« SCP-7102 || UIU File: 2014-158 (OPERATION: VENENUM) ||

Electronic copy below as per Federal Records Act

UIU File: 2014-158: Headhunter

Summary: A group of approximately ten hostile, armed, and sentient humanoids, operating as an active terrorist group within the city of Three Portlands.

Led by the primary and most dangerous suspect — often referred to as "Headless Hunter," "Head Hunter," or "Mr. Becker," — the entire formation actively targets several Portlands politicians, Marshall, Carter and Dark employees, and prominent public figures in an attempt to assassinate them, frequently succeeding in doing so.

Evidence and Bureau intel suggest that their actions are primarily motivated by extremist beliefs, leading them to believe the world must be "purged of corrupt individuals." The more-than-likely connection between the suspects and the Miracle Liberation Front organization (see — next tab) is currently being investigated.

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Case File #	2014-158	Report Author	Robert Johnson	Date Filed	06/11/2014
Irregularity Cross‑reference	Humanoid, Self-augmentation, Head-less, Paraweapon, Three Portlands, Miracle Liberation Front

Archival Note: Followers of the primary suspect heavily vary between manifestations. As such, only the description of the group's main leader could be reliably compiled and is available below.

Clearest available photo of the subject, as captured by Jonas Sharp's¹ security cameras during the attack on him.

Name: Unknown, presumed "Becker"

Race: Parahuman

Age: Unknown

Gender: Unknown, presumed male

Physical Description: Headless, fully sapient humanoid entity, approximately 170 centimeters in height and 115 kilograms in weight. Outfit mostly consists of brown jeans and a black leather jacket with a Kevlar bulletproof vest underneath. Aside from the iconography of a skull on the back of the jacket, possesses no other distinguishing features. Often seen carrying a bladed, chainsaw-like paraweapon.

Capabilities: Able to operate identically as a baseline human even without a brain or the necessary sensory organs to do so. Capable of attaching any disembodied head onto itself, gaining the skills and knowledge possessed by the previous bearer of the attachment for as long as it remains in use. Though not confirmed, rumored to control its weapon telekinetically.

Purpose / Motive: Suspected to be primarily driven by a will to rid society of individuals that bear positions of power and have been deemed by the subject as immoral, corrupt, or otherwise unfit for its position. Secondary objective is the liberation of the anomalous population from the control of anomalous organizations and the permanent destruction of the worldwide Veil of normalcy.

Modus Operandi: Operations consist mostly of lethal attack attempts on its targets; however, actions that would permanently render their operations impossible — such as leaking of sensitive documents, exposing details of work, or destroying the structure of organizations they serve — have also been observed. Suspect heavily cooperates with individuals previously identified as members of the Miracle Liberation Front organization,² from within which it gains its collaborators with whom it undertakes its actions.

Behavior: Suspect displays extremely aggressive behavior, not rarely utilizing violence in its actions. It does not care what damage is done to its surroundings as long as it reaches its intended goal. However, such is only the case during its interactions with its mission targets or normalcy organizations; during encounters with baseline humans or other anomalies subject has displayed relatively standard behavior.

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Case File #	2014-158	Report Author	Robert Johnson	Date Filed	13/11/2014
Irregularity Cross‑reference	Humanoid, Self-augmentation, Head-less, Paraweapon, Three Portlands, Marshall, Carter, and Dark Ltd., Miracle Liberation Front, Paranarcotic

1. Initial Contact

First reports of the suspect's operations came to the Bureau's attention on 06/11/2014, during which it — alongside approximately five collaborators — commenced an attack on a house located in the Prometheus Plaza within Three Portlands. Later identified to be the home of John Iverson,³ the building was destroyed by what is suspected to be a thaumic bomb, immediately killing Mr. Iverson. No other people were injured during the incident.

Various eyewitnesses then proceeded to alert the Bureau, which arrived onsite shortly after. However, the suspect was unable to be located as it — and its group — have already fled the scene. An immediate investigation into its state and how it entered the city revealed it arrived in early November via a Way as a member of late 2014 Esterberg immigrants that fled the city following its succumbing to relative political chaos previously that year. In order to locate the escaped suspect, an official case was then authorized, led by Senior Agent Robert Johnson.

2. Further Investigation

Despite best Bureau efforts, the suspect was able to strike again the same day. This time, its target was Hannah Peters,⁴ whom it killed by a gunshot to the head. Over the next couple of hours, her connections to illegal Marshall, Carter and Dark paradrug and thaumic substance trade were revealed as a series of documents wherein she, for a large sum of money, agreed to attempt alongside her colleagues to overturn laws prohibiting certain actions that made such business mostly impossible were leaked to local media. Noteworthy was Peters and the MC&D employee's repeated usage of the words "the main load" and its supposed planned arrival. What this refers to remains unknown.

When Bureau operatives arrived onsite this time, however, they were capable of finding a series of mental footnotes seemingly belonging to the suspect via the deployment of a friendly empath. In an extremely chaotic manner, they described the rough plan of operation of the subject, alongside a collection of notes referring to the necessity of freeing someone, their seeming connection to MC&D, illegal drug trade, and wealthy elites, and one scattered, incomplete adjective — "fuller." The implications of these are currently pending investigation.

To avoid further incidents like these, the Bureau put out an official statement, calling for all public Three Portlands figures to guard their houses and remain within safe locations. This resulted in the prevention of a similar event the very next day, during which the suspect attempted to coordinate a series of strikes against Jonas Sharp⁵-owned warehouses. Due to their newly-crafted thaumaturgic protection, it failed, which allowed the Bureau to intervene in time. Although the suspect fled again, agents arrived to find a series of unknown though illegal, milk-based substances presumed to be paranarcotics kept within the storehouse. Alongside their retrieval, Mr. Sharp has been detained and currently remains within Bureau custody. He has refused to comment on the situation.

However, this case has proved that the suspect entirely ignores "standard" politicians and wealthy individuals, whilst almost entirely focusing on those with past criminal histories or connections. This allowed the Bureau to drop the security plans it hoped to surround a series of individuals with, creating a detailed portfolio of individuals fitting these descriptions that were both at risk of attack and were currently present within Three Portlands. Imminently, personal messages were sent to those individuals, offering Bureau security for the duration of the investigation.

Although most of them have indeed accepted the offer, the only exception to this was individuals directly tied to MC&D operations and sub-companies. All of them have backed up their choice by saying they prefer internal security to take care of them rather than US Government officials the Bureau represents. Due to this, a series of further subject attacks befall them shortly after, continuing to bring damage to the city, this time without proper Bureau intervention or a chance to investigate further due to local law prohibiting entry into MC&D-owned buildings without an appropriate warrant.

3. Prevention Attempts

Despite these limitations, however, Agent Davis continued to attempt to gain entry into the aforementioned locals to both protect individuals within and investigate further regarding the suspect's motives and modus operandi. Below attached is a series of requests she made for forced entry to the case's lead, Agent Johnson.

Request #: 001

Body: Request for forced entry into MC&D Ltd. locals to gather essential investigation information.

Result: DENIED

Further Notes: I appreciate the enthusiasm but I'm afraid we cannot allow ourselves to trespass this much. ~ Johnson

Request #: 006

Body: Request for forced entry into MC&D Ltd. locals to gather essential investigation information.

Result: DENIED

Further Notes: Refer to previous reasoning. ~ Johnson

Request #: 012

Body: Request for forced entry into MC&D Ltd. locals to gather essential investigation information.

Result: DENIED

Further Notes: Stop with these requests. You are needed elsewhere. ~ Johnson

Request #: 017

Body: Request for forced entry into MC&D Ltd. locals to gather essential investigation information.

Result: DENIED

Further Notes: This really isn't funny anymore. ~ Johnson

Request #: 023

Body: Request for forced entry into MC&D Ltd. locals to gather essential investigation information.

Result: DENIED

Further Notes: I swear, Davis, if you do not stop pestering me with these I will personally demote you or put you into another project. This is beginning to get on my nerve. Go be actually useful to the investigation instead of bothering us with requests that will never be accepted. ~ Johnson

Despite all of these denials, however, almost immediately following the 23rd application being rejected, a special S.O.S. call from an MC&D instance was received by the Bureau. In accordance with the law, it was therefore allowed to intervene only with this local for protection measures, and it used this chance to intervene. When it arrived twenty minutes later, however, it has proven to be already too late. Below attached is an investigation log into the area following a suspect attack.

[BEGIN LOG]

[Imani Davis exits the elevator, using his cell phone. Another Bureau investigator, Bryon Tent, approaches Davis.]

Tent: Well, you're up and early.

Davis: [Sighs] If you're not early, you're late. What've we got?

Tent: A damn mess, that's what we've got. We've found thirty so far.

Davis: So far?

Tent: Don't get me started. Eye-witnesses say the power suddenly went out, followed by the ceiling crashing upon the host planner. Most of the victims were high-level MC&D employees and some guards. Alongside a handful of people on the guest list. [Sighs] It's a shitshow in the making. Last thing I need is Iris⁶ on our asses.

Davis: And we're sure it's this Becker?

Tent: Hard to miss a glowing red sword in the dark. Apparently the guy was wearing a giant Venus plant as a head this time. He's becoming a fucking riot, let me tell you.

Davis: Let's just hope he doesn't start an actual one. [Pause] Thanks Tent, I got it from here.

[Tent opens the door for Davis; Davis freezes and silently gasps.]

[The ballroom had sustained severe damage: Much of the wall and floor displayed massive cuts or were visibly cracked. Decapitated and bisected corpses litter the floor, with some of them splattered or embedded in the wall or ceiling. Long multicolored strings are wrapped against several exits and windows of the room. A significant amount of the bar's drinks have gone missing, and snowflakes are falling from a massive hole in the ceiling.]

Davis: Yep. This is going to take a while.

[Davis pulls out a file and begins the examination of the bodies, cross-referencing the documents inside the folder. Davis tilts his head.]

Davis: Hm… victims match the modus operandi; corrupt fat cats, depraved perverts, long history of anomaly smuggling… but this is strange. Not all of them seemed to be killed by decapitation.

Davis: Piercing wounds in the torso and abdomen region, too small to be a sword… Some of them appeared to be strangled? And… and…

[One of the bodies has been spatially contorted and deformed into a dollar sign symbol. The expression on the victim's face is smiling.]

Davis: …I don't even know how to respond to that one. Oh?

[Several of the bodies appears to be frosted all over, and stiff. Davis looks through the folder.]

Davis: Leeroy Cross. MC&D supervisor… must be his bodyguards.

[All the frozen bodies have dead mistletoes hanging from their necks. Davis picks up one of the mistletoes and then looks to the ceiling. Another plant is hanging from the hole.]

[Davis travels to the second floor, the personal lounges, and immediately shivers. The temperature of the room has been lowered and traces of snow still fall from the ceiling. Much of the area is hard to decipher due to many of the walls, furniture, and corpses being encased in thick blocks of ice.]

Davis: T-The hell? Three Ports doesn't— Did he do this? No, doesn't fit his style…

[Davis stops speaking and spots a body near the hole, the mistletoe is dangling into the ballroom. He steps closer. Massive burn wounds are on the man's skin and massive hoof-shaped bruised a present on his face and arms.]

Davis: …What?

[The man's hand has one finger extended in front of him. Hoof tracks have moved from the body to a portion of the wall that appears to be the least frosted than anything else. Davis stands up and takes a step forward.]

Johnson: David! You made it!

[Davis turns around; Johnson is behind her, adorning a thick coat and scarf. Davis shakes Johnson's hand; the latter hands here a jacket and an additional scarf.]

Johnson: Don't want to get a cold, do we?

Davis: A cold? It's motherfucking winter wonderland in here! What happened? This wasn't in the initial report.

[Johnson crouches near one of the bodies and shakes their head.]

Johnson: Guess most of the partygoers left before the real action could begin. Didn't help that it took us a solid half hour just to cut the ropes on the doors. Makes sense if this… Becker's looking to scrounge up more time.

Davis: More time for what?

[Johnson gestures to the lounge, and the several Bureau agents present in the room; they are shivering.]

Johnson: To slow us down. He knows we're onto him. [Sigh] To think he did all of this by himself—

Davis: Actually, sir, I don't think that's the case.

Johnson: Oh? And what makes you think that?

[Davis points to hoof and burn marks on the body.]

Davis: I took a look at bodies downstairs too. It seems not all of them were beheaded, or even killed by a sword at all. And I'm pretty sure Becker has hands, not hooves.

Johnson: I… You need not forget that he… he possesses plenty of heads that allow him access to all kinds of abilities.

Davis: True, but even then, judging from the profile we got, he's the kind of person to go in for the kill. We also know he is in charge of his own little group. This mess here doesn't seem to be his doing.

Johnson: But… If that were the case, who was his backup?

Davis: [Sigh] I guess it's a story for another time. [Pause] Oh, my, uh, my pen ran out of ink. Can I borrow yours? Thanks.

[Johnson hands Davis a ballpoint pen. As Davis writes in her notes, she spots another body in the distance carrying a scrap of paper. The scrap is not frozen and is currently moving despite there being no wind present. Davis moves towards the body before being stopped by Johnson.]

Johnson: What… What do you think you're doing?!

Davis: Uh… my job?

Johnson: You, uh, you can't go over there! Beyond this room, the temperature is dangerously low. You'll-You'll literally freeze in no time f—

Davis: But… what if the evidence gets damaged? If the cold is really that bad, then—

Johnson: I already requested specialists. They should be here soon with the thermal suits, the last thing we need is another body added to the count. Just go downstairs and wrap up the investigation. I'll be here on standby until they arrive. Are we clear?

Davis: I… uhh…

Johnson: Davis?

Davis: [Swallows and nods] Crystal. I understand.

Johnson: Great! We'll send you the details after we're finished here. Now go get 'em, tiger.

Davis: Yeah. See… See you later, I guess.

[Davis leaves the area. Johnson scans the room quickly before approaching the scrap and stuffing it in his pocket. Johnson makes a call.]

[Davis and the investigation team are shuffling out of the building. Davis frowns as she reexamines her notes.]

Davis: How could they manage an operation like this that quickly? MC&D security should've at least put up a fight. Biggest breakthrough we got and it's only given us more questions than answers.

[Davis is about to leave until she spots Johnson's car; his arm is hanging out of the window with a lit cigarette between his fingers. Davis looks at the pen.]

Davis: Right, I forgot I still had this.

[Davis approaches Johnson's car.]

Davis: Hey, Mr. Johnson, sir? Sorry for bothering you but, I just, uh, wanted to give you your pen back. I didn't think I used too much of—

[Suddenly, Davis screams, attracting the attention of nearby civilians and the investigation team. She reveals that inside the car lies the body of Robert Johnson; the car windshield and the headrest show signs of it being sawed through. Johnson's head is nowhere to be found.]

[A note appears to be stapled onto Johnson's shirt which reads: "DON'T NEED TO THANK ME! — HH"]

[Davis drops the pen, throwing up shortly after.]

[END LOG]

In light of these events, by direct order of Bureau Director James Comey, Agent Davis has been promoted to 2014-158 Lead Investigator. Further investigation has been officially approved and preparations for it have begun.

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Case File #	2014-158	Report Author	Imani Davis	Date Filed	02/12/2014
Irregularity Cross‑reference	Humanoid, Self-augmentation, Head-less, Paraweapon, Three Portlands, Marshall, Carter, and Dark Ltd., Miracle Liberation Front, Paranarcotic

1. Background

Primarily prompted by past history of illegal activity and MC&D's apparent connection to the suspect's motivation, OPERATION: VENENUM aims to uncover the truth behind the actual operations of the company inside Three Portlands. Whether MC&D still continues its previous acts is unknown, but, in order to catch the subject and erase further potential corruption and crime inside the city, the Bureau has deemed an official investigation into its doings as necessary.

OPERATION: VENENUM will consist of a series of simultaneous Bureau-led forced entries into MC&D warehouses and instances, culminating in a raid on the primary headquarters of the company, wherein it is heavily suspected its CEO, Iris Dark, will be at the time present. Should investigation conducted inside the aforementioned areas yield no result, attempting to interrogate Miss Dark has been approved by both 2014-158 Lead Investigator Agent Davis and Bureau Director James Comey.

2. Operation

OPERATION: VENENUM has been officially launched by unanimous Bureau higher-up approval on 02/12/2014. A series of seven task forces were sent to investigate MC&D instances throughout the city with entry warrants. However, six of them ended up yielding no particular results; the only exception to this was the group that entered the primary company headquarters, led by Agent Davis. As the footage recorded by the six aforementioned squads was not of any particular value to the 2014-158 investigation, below attached is only the video log of Agent Davis' group.

[BEGIN LOG]

[The feed connects, showing Agent Davis standing alongside nine other, heavily armed Bureau operatives outside a large, warehouse-like building. It bears no windows, and is only separated from the outside world through steel doors. Davis clears her throat and knocks on them, hearing the response of a dull echo sound.]

[Moments later, the doors open a few centimeters, showing the inside of the structure, from which techno music and flashing lights can be seen coming. The gap is quickly filled by the head of a young, lanky man wearing formal attire, who frantically looks to the outside, until he notices the Bureau personnel. He raises an eyebrow, and Davis pulls up her ID, nearly shoving it into his face.]

Davis: Agent Imani Davis, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Unusual Incidents Unit. I have a warrant to search this building on the basis of it being suspected to connect to an ongoing investigation. [Taps the doors] Mind if we come in?

[The man looks around the group again, and looks back to the inside of the building, before focusing on Davis once more.]

Man: Listen, I've no clue what you people's deal is, but this has got to be some big misunderstanding. Miss Dark is real busy right now, but I'm sure if you just make an appointment—

[Davis shows her ID again.]

Davis: I'm afraid I wasn't asking.

[The man scoffs, and turns away, trying to close the doors.]

Man: Look, I'm sorry, but—

[Davis puts her arm between the frame and the closing doors, stopping them. She looks into the man's eyes, annoyed.]

Davis: You'll be sorry alright if you don't open this door, I can guarantee you that. I would just like to remind you that, by operating inside Three Portlands, you are bound by United States law. And, unless you want to be charged with interrupting a federal agent on her duty or being an active accomplice to a dangerous criminal, I highly suggest you let us in. Because the next time I'm here, I will come back with an anti-terrorist squad. [Pause] Are we clear?

[The man groans]

Man: Fine. Just make it quick.

[The doors open wide enough to allow the entire squad to pass through. Davis takes the lead and marches into the building, hiding her identification.]

[They reemerge in a large and dimly lit hallway-like room. It is filled with artificial, colorful smoke, and its darkness is occasionally pierced by colorful light to the sound of techno music. Throughout it, a series of humans and parahumans alike jump to the rhythm of the tune, drink various beverages — with the most common one being an unidentified black, thick liquid — from the bar inside the club, and try to converse with each other over the music. In the upper parts of the building, lounges separated from the rest of the area by glass sit. Within them, a series of smartly dressed individuals are located, converting between taking sips of the aforementioned black substance. However, one seat inside them is visibly empty.]

Man: See? Nothing here. Just a few people having fun, as written in our papers, I'm sure. Now—

Davis: I'll be the one to decide that. You said that Miss Dark is here, correct? I would like to talk to her directly.

Man: But—

Davis: Now.

[The man swallows. He points to a small room separated from the rest of the area, and starts to walk there. Davis complies.]

[Moments later, they enter the room, revealing it to be a relatively small, separated lounge. Inside, two chairs are located. Davis does not sit, instead starting to impatiently touch the ground with her foot.]

[After approximately two minutes, a woman angrily surges into the room. She is a tall, approximately 32-year-old individual, and is wearing a long, deep purple dress that covers nearly her entire body. Her long, straight black hair falls nearly to her waist, which she props up against with her black nails. She looks at Davis with disgust, then turns towards the man, smiling coldly.]

Dark: [Angrily:] What is this nonesense?

Davis: Agent Imani Davis, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Unusual Incidents Unit. I have a warrant to—

[Iris Dark ignores Davis, and walks up towards the man, looking into his eyes with pure anger. She grabs him by the shoulder, and walks to the side. Despite their distance and the fact they are nearly whispering, Davis tunes in her paratechnologic recording device.]

Dark: This is not the deal we've had, Hector, and you know that.

[Dark tightens her grip.]

Hector: Miss Dark, please, I—

Dark: It's your farm, so deal with the fallout of your operation yourself. I am only here to collect my due of the plot. I—

[Davis comes closer, trying to fit inbetween the two.]

Davis: I'm sorry, did you say farm?

[Similarly as before, she is ignored.]

Hector: I'm trying, I really am, but I can't do jackshit hiding when some random piece of shit cop turns up on my—

[At a second's notice, Davis leaps at Hector, and pins him to the floor. She grabs his hands behind his back and handcuffs them, touching his head with her knee. Dark simply backs off, touching her back pocket.]

Davis: You are under arrest for intentionally interrupting a federal investigation and assaulting a federal agent. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you—

[Suddenly, a loud explosion can be heard coming from inside the outer hall. People begin to scream as sounds of weaponry being fired and steel clashing with steel fill the air. Davis looks at the corridor leading to the previous location, and, in that moment, two things occur: as Dark assesses the situation, she suddenly whispers an inaudible sound and smashes some item she picked up from her pocket, making it instantaneously disappear in a cloud of thaumic lightning. Hector notices that and Davis' lack of attention, and jumps upward, hitting her in the head and disappearing in the corridor Iris initially walked out of. Davis courses as she grabs her wounded face, trying to stand up. However, as another explosion shakes the building, that proves to be impossible.]

[Davis looks in the direction of the escaped suspect.]

Davis: Fuck!

[She stands up, this time succeeding, and looks around her. The ceiling of the room has fallen, burying one of the team members underneath; another Bureau Agent is attempting to help the victim. Davis looks at both of them, and they nod their heads. She picks up her gun and enters the main hall, showing the rest of her team to follow. They comply.]

[The primary corridor which was previously occupied by people dancing is now filled with frantically running individuals, attempting to find a way out or cover in panic. Atop the ceiling, a gaping hole can be seen; through it from the outside, a series of non-humanoid, armed anomalies pour into the building. The only two distinguishable ones are a tall, headless male bearing a sword and a centipede-like creature by his side, both of which are clearly ordering the rest around. Curiously, none of the attackers engage in any combat with the civilians or MC&D personnel; instead, they are focused entirely on attempting to traverse down the elevator located at the corridor's end. Davis curses again, and her team starts to take position.]

[Before they can engage, however, a series of cyborg MC&D security members rapidly enter the scene from doors located throughout the corridor. They are commanded by the previously escaped Hector, who is now overlooking their actions from a safe spot inside one of the balcony lonuges. The cyborgs immediately engage in their own combat with the anomalous entities, eliminating two with their range paraweaponry on the spot. The headless individual previously atop the hole — further referred to as Becker — notices this seconds later and leaps downwards, decapitating one of the guards. Victoriously, he picks up their head and puts it atop his corpus, immediately making it merge with him. With the newly possessed mouth, he smiles, proceeding to identify the remaining cyborgs with the head's augments and attack them.]

Davis: Engage with suspect. Usage of force authorized!

[The remaining Bureau Agents run into the crowd, trying to make their way towards Beckert, who is now engaging in combat near the large doors the rest of the MLF forces are attempting to open. He is visibly defending his accomplices who are at their most vulnerable, dashing between cyborg to cyborg and rapidly thrusting his sword into their bodies and decapitating them. Hector, who is standing atop the balcony, is now visibly terrified and tries to hide. Despite this, he puts his watch to his mouth, and starts to tremble.]

Hector: Do not let them — both of them — get down! Use whatever you—

[The cyborgs recieve the message, but the sound is also heard by the centipede entity from before. It rapidly climbs up to the balcony, grabbing one of the guards and breaking its neck in the process, and walks towards Hector. It grabs him with its many legs, throwing him to the base floor as it joins him seconds later. Becker notices this, and smiles.]

Becker: Well done, Numbers.

[He continues to attack the MC&D employees, but seconds later, quickly grabs Hector by his neck and relocates him near the doors the rest are attempting to open. He forcefully grabs his ID and makes him touch the control panel, unlocking the doors. They comply, and the MLF forces start to descent downwards, but Becker stays, trying to shield them in the process. He takes out one guard and another, accidentally hitting two Bureau Agents and killing them inthe process. Despite his efficiency, however, he is repeatedly hit in his head and torso by enemy bullets, mostly by the now-focused UIU operatives. Because of this, he changes the head twice to new ones to relieve himself of the damage. He grins, and extends his arms, laughing loudly.]

Becker: That the best you've got?!

[However, the moment he is not paying attention to his surroundings, Davis and three others engage with him, rapidly gunning him down. He gasps, dodging only half of the bullets, and falls down to the floor, covering behind a piece of rubble. Becker frantically looks at the doors, realizing the rest of his team has already dissapeared. Only Hector remains, who is now standing shivering near the elevator. Becker notices him and grins, rapidly leaping towards him as the bullets continue to try to hit him. He eventually grabs Hector and puts him in front of him, trying to back off towards the elevator behind the now-opened doors himself. The bullets now hit Hector instead of him, which allow the suspect to safely retreat. Although seconds later, the Bureau bullets stop coming, but MC&D security fire increases in intensity.]

Davis: After him!

[The remaining five UIU agents alongside Davis run forward, trying to descent into the basement. Before they can do so, however, Becker simply smiles and decapitates Hector, exchanging the previous head for his. Upon gaining his knowledge, he groans in disgust, and looks at the headless body in front of him with distate. Moments later, he throws it at two of the most faraway from Davis Bureau Agents, pinning them to the wall with its impact. A loud thud and crack is heard, and they stop moving. Davis looks, terrified, but continues the chase. The suspect jumps down, disappearing from the recording. Davis sighs, her voice trembling.]

[She looks at her communication device.]

Davis: This is Imani Davis, immediately requesting backup. I repeat, this is—

Command: <inaudible> —uggest you— <static>

Davis: Command, do copy? Command?!

[As she repeatedly taps the device, static fills the feed. She curses, and looks at the few remaining MC&D operatives with both mistrust and exhaustion in her eyes. They exchange looks and silently nod, together walking up to the broken elevator shaft in front of them. Davis reloads her gun, swallowing hard and closing her eyes for a moment. Moments later, they descend, using the ladders provided within the shaft. The feed goes dark for a few seconds as they enter the basement twenty seconds later.]

[When it turns back on, it reveals an extremely wide and long yet not too tall room, stretching in every direction into the horizon. Despite this, what is inside of it is heavily obscured by very thick, white glass that surrounds the team as they enter through. The group is now located in an approximately 20 m x 20 m x 5 m room surrounded by the aforementioned glass. Inside, nobody except the UIU and MC&D personnel are stationed. Davis looks around herself, confused as to where the MLF members have gone. She looks at another agent, with worry in her eyes, and she readies her gun again.]

[And then, all of the lights go out.]

[As Davis tries to realize what is going on around her with heavy breaths, sudden sounds of slashing and metal clinging to the floor fill the room. Brief fires of a gun from every direction illuminate the room for sub-second periods of time, revealing parts of Becker's widely smiling face and his sword, cutting through armor and flesh with ease, the centipede-entity strangling a few of the MC&D cyborgs, and various other beings engaging in combat with the arrived forces. One of the bullets pierces Davis' leg, making her fall to the ground, screaming. None of the others notice this as she lays, trembling in pain.]

[Over time, the struggle seems to slow down as the flashes of light reveal numerous bodies — both of anomalies, Bureau Agents, and MC&D security — decorating the ground. A few more shots are fired and a few more sounds of Becker's sword's attacks can be heard, but, in just a few more minutes, everything goes silent. The only thing that still fills the room is Davis' nearly-silent weeping as she touches her sevenfold-hit leg. She tries to not make any sound, but as she notices the rest of her crew is dead, she lets out a grunt with an expression somewhere between fear, anger, and pain. Tears start to go down her face.]

[Suddenty, all of the lights turn back on.]

[The hall is nearly indistinguishable from before; its glass walls are now pierced with several bullets and parts of the ceiling have fallen down, covering the floor and bodies in rubble. Thick smoke pours through the holes into the room, and the lights flicker or straight up do not work at all due to the damage that ensued. In the very far corner, Becker is standing, exchanging his head for another; next to him, the centipede being stands, cleaning his sword whilst holding it with the utmost respect. Nobody except them and Davis still remains alive inside the room. Despite the fact that the others clearly see her struggle, they do not react, but keep looking at her, as if they are waiting on her to stand up. She sulks, and attempts to do that, but fails, falling on her face onto the rubble. She lets out a cry of agony, but tries again.]

Davis: You… You… fucking b-bas-bastards!

[She eventually succeeds to put herself on her feet, but still grabs her bleeding leg with her right arm, limping slowly to the two in front of her with her gun in her second hand. She grimaces and tries to fire, aiming at Becker's heart, but her weapon is revealed to be empty. She clicks it ten times more before giving up and throwing the weapon itself at the two. Before it can reach them, however, Becker gently picks up his sword from his companion and slashes the gun in two, making its pieces fall on the floor. Davis weeps again, and falls to her knees.]

Davis: [Looking at the ground:] I… [Pause] Just… Just make it q-quick.

[She closes her eyes, and tears start to go down her cheeks. Becker doesn't respond, instead walking slowly towards her. She can hear the steps, and starts to tremble. Half a meter away from her, he stops.]

[When after ten seconds the impact doesn't come, she opens her eyes. She sees that he simply extended a hand forward, and looks at it, too confused to react any other way. He points to it with his head, smiling slightly, and shakes it a bit. Knowing no other way to react, she takes it, and he helps her stand up. He then turns to the centipede, and points to the shaft leading upward.]

Becker: Numbers, notify them to come down here and intercept the package. We're nearly done.

[It nods, and quickly slithers out of the room, leaving only Davis and Becker inside. For a moment, silence lays the place.]

Davis: [Pause] W-Why? Just… Just why?

Becker: "Why" what? Why come down here? Why kill your men? Why do all of this in the first place?

Davis: No. Why… Why spare me? Out of all of them? Just… why?

[Becker chuckles, putting his hands into his pockets. He lights up a cigarette and puts it into his mouth, exhaling the smoke.]

Becker: Because you aren't a bitch.

Davis: I… Pardon?

[Becker extends his arms, pointing to every other dead member.]

Becker: Aside from all of the MC&D scum, your men were a bunch of rats. They were ready to gut you out the moment the Dark whore would tell them.

Davis: W-What?

Becker: You really think they don't have failsafes to protect their operations here? Please. Buying the magic cops out was one of the easier ones.

Davis: B-But that's impossible, if they wanted me dead they—

Becker: They didn't. Johnson was supposed to be enough of a cover for you to leave MC&D alone, but after I took care of him, she was pissed. Beyond pissed. So she wanted you on a silver platter. That was the deal she was talking about with Hector. That was what would've happened if not for us.

Davis: But I… I thought you hated us, normalcy orgs?

[Becker exhales the smoke again.]

Davis: You aren't normalcy. You're just America's magic cops. You're here, behind the Veil, with us and the people you actually want to and do protect with your actions. You serve the magical, instead of putting it inside boxes and killing it for being what it is.

Davis: But we… we still wanted to get you, and— [Pause] That doesn't excuse your… your murders, your—

Becker: Please. If— Actually, you know what? I ain't telling you anything more. Just showing you why we're here and why we did what we did would be more than enough, I think.

[Becker clears his throat and picks his sword up, quickly swinging it at the remaining glass panels in front of him. This results in the smoke pouring into the room, severely obscuring the camera's vision. Davis begins to cough but powers through, walking alongside Becker to the other side of the area. For a few moments, the feed cannot properly focus itself on what is going on in front of it.]

[When it does however focus once more, it shows a hall extending into darkness, filled with white, fluorescent lights that flicker irregularly on a cold, concrete ceiling and walls. Beneath it, a series of strange contraptions can be seen, put in regular rows separated only by small one-meter-wide openings between them. Their appearance is reminiscent of a glass tube with irregular pipes, valves, and pumps within it, all controlled by a single tablet panel put on its front. It is impossible to discern how many of these machines are located nearby, as wherever Davis or Becker turn, they inevitably see only them.]

Davis: What… What is this?

[Exhaling a final cloud of smoke, Becker throws his cigarette on the ground. He tramples it as he walks up towards Davis, pointing to the machines with his head. His expression is grim, a mix of anger, frustration, and a tinge of fear.]

Becker: [Quietly:] See for yourself.

[She comes closer, clearing the dust that settled on the glass tubes and obstructs view with her hand. Seconds later, Davis gasps with fear, rapidly backing off.]

[What she sees inside is a humanoid figure floating in water, its eyes twisted into an incomprehensible expression of fear. Its skin is white and its face is decorated with colorful makeup. It is restrained with a series of wires that regularly snap electricity at it, making the entire being twitch with even more pain than before. Its entire torso is covered in a grotesque vest with two pipes from where the being's nipples should be, regularly transporting a white liquid into giant containers outside the tank and, with one different pipe, into the entity's mouth, force-feeding it. Davis turns around, terrified, and sees that all of the tanks contain nearly identical figures, all floating in torture.]

Davis: What-What the fuck? What the fuck is that, what, I—

[Becker simply lights up another smoke.]

Becker: Coverted bred clowns. A pair of Lovecraftian monsters beyond reality forcefully put into men, then bred beyond comprehension to make as much of their black milk as possible. After Fuller's Circus gutted him out and put him into that machine, freeing themselves, clowns have been roaming around without a collar 'round their neck. Where others saw freedom, Dark saw an opportunity for profit. Immense profit.

Davis: But… why?

Becker: Their milk puts people to highs normal paranarcotics can't, and without any risks involved. So she rounded the entire plot of them clowns up and put them into these farms, forcefully breeding them until she could make hundreds. 'Cuz nobody would notice either way.

Becker: Now, they're here, underground living and breathing cities, forcefully fed their own product to forever create milk on an infinite high as their master profits from them to every rich parascum that wants a little bit of fun. [Sighs] This is the last one we could find.

[For many minutes, silence lays as Becker finishes his cigarette and Davis stares at the clown in front of her, pure terror in her eyes.]

Davis: What… What do you do with them? After you free them, I-I mean.

Becker: Not every world's Circus ended up here. Some of them, we've heard, traverse the myriad worlds out there, one adventure after the other. They're the lucky ones. They take care of these folks like they were theirs. It's the best thing we can do for both them and us. [Pause] If only our world ended up as good as theirs.

[Pause. Becker smirks sadly.]

Becker: They say there's even a reality out there where Dark and the Circus are friends. One where she's not a sociopath, just another person like the rest of us. [Scoffs] I want to believe it. I'm just not sure I should. [Pause] But I know that any world, even as twisted as the one that one would be, is better than here, the place they have no home in and are reduced to nothing but fucking cows.

[Another pause This time, he finishes the cigarette, and throws it on the ground once more. The lights above flicker, as if in disapproval. He ignores them.]

Davis: So, what do we do now? With them, and all of this, I mean.

Becker: "We?" There's no "we," Miss Davis. There's only me and my lot and then there's you, the magic cops out there hunting us. Unless you want to change that, that is.

[Davis raises an eyebrow.]

Davis: And what is that supposed to mean?

[Becker shrugs.]

Becker: I'm saying you can join us. Try to fix a few things up. Those peeps you work with? Corrupted scum. You saw it with Johnson. The rest aren't exactly better. [Pause] But you are. And you can fix things.

Davis: I…

[Becker sighs.]

Becker: I understand.

[Pause.]

Becker: But to answer your question — we try to fix things.

[END LOG]

3. Aftermath

Following the above conversation taking place, the feed immediately stopped recording for unknown reasons. Ten minutes following its cessation, Agent Davis was able to be retrieved by newly-arrived Bureau forces from the site of the incident. No MLF forces — including Becker or Numbers — were found onsite. All available MC&D higher-ups that were found within the building have been arrested with charges of human trafficking, inhumane treatment of sentient anomalies, paranarcotic trade, and bribing. Further investigation into said charges as well as Becker's current whereabouts is ongoing. So far, he is yet to be seen again inside Three Portlands.

Although under standard protocol, Agent Davis would be charged with criminal cooperation, due to her circumstances — as well as the fact it allowed for the discovery of the truth of MC&D's operations inside the city — allowed for Bureau higher-ups to clear her of all charges and allow her to return to normal duty. Following this, she officially requested a holiday break for reasons relating to mental and physical health. Due to the fact it was her first request of this nature in more than five years and her exceptional performance as an officer during OPERATION: VENENUM and in general, it was granted to her without any major issues.

However, the day she was supposed to return to duty, she did not do so. When Bureau Agents were sent to the site of her holidays to investigate further, she was nowhere to be found, and her tracking chip was found laying on the table in her room alongside a note. The aforementioned note is attached below.

Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to change the world.

When other kids said they wanted to be doctors and firefighters, my only answer has always been that I wanted to be a policewoman. To change the world for the better, fighting crime where people needed me most. That was the dream of a 5-year-old Imani.

But then, reality hit me like a train.

Even though I graduated at the top of my class, I was a joke. That's all they saw me as. A black woman applying to be a cop was the funniest thing those fuckers I had to call classmates could think of. They showed me that, at every turn, for years of my life. And even when I became who I've always wanted to be, I couldn't free myself of this course.

I wasn't a warrior for justice, bravely protecting those in need. I became a tool for an oppressive regime to fight back against what it deemed unfit to exist in its empire. Of what it deemed too strange to live. Even after being put in the UIU, a force supposedly designed to help the magical and keep it safe, even then did I feel like I was just a puppet, designed to keep the Veil in check, with no regards for anything — or anyone — behind it.

I felt that way every waking day until the 2nd of December.

There, for the first time since I was a 5-year-old girl, I felt like I had a purpose. Like, through my actions, people were saved. Like I was an active participant in making the world better. And I felt that way because of someone the system I worked for deemed a terrorist.

Now, I see something I couldn't notice for years of my work — this isn't how it has to be. There is another way. And that way, I found, is with them. The people I was actually meant to protect when I signed up for this job. The people I've been against for so long.

I don't expect you to understand my decision, nor to respect it. But I'm no longer going to be bound by your rules when there are people that need my help. Real people that need my real help, not the facade of idiocy you put up with your corrupt bureaucrats and MC&D money whores. Your Veil — the Veil I called mine too for so long — needs to fall. And when that inevitably happens, just remember you had the choice to decide on which side of the world you were.

— Ex-FBI UIU Agent, Imani Davis