[Hogun POV]
The helicopter hummed steadily, slicing through clouds above the sprawling skyline of Lungmen. Inside, the tension was thicker than the armor on a Defense Operator.
I sat with arms folded, my katana at my side, eyes on the distant horizon—but aware of every glance cast toward the quiet storm beside me.
The Dark Prince.
He sat poised and still, as if carved from obsidian and dusk. His four wings, folded tightly around his shoulders like a velvet cloak, gave off faint pulses of lightless energy. His silver-lined black robes whispered against the metal seat, and that dark halo above his head… it beat like a slow war drum. Not corrupted. Not malevolent.
Just… grieving.
The Doctor had given up pretending not to stare. He kept glancing at the glowing interface embedded in the center table, trying to pull up any info, any record, data on "Sky City," on Light Angel Mechanical, even vague celestial anomalies. But the screens only blinked red and blue with unknown errors or blank results.
Amiya, sitting across from us, gave the prince wary yet respectful glances, her ears twitching with restrained curiosity.
I broke the silence.
[Hogun]: You won't find anything on your terminal, Doctor. Sky City isn't on Terra. It's across the portal… in my world.
The Doctor slowly looked up. His expression unreadable behind that expressionless mask, but his silence said enough.
I gestured subtly toward the Dark Prince, who didn't react.
[Hogun]: He's the son of Light—one of the four I told Kal'tsit about. The last monarch of Sky City. When Light vanished, the city went silent. Like… someone turned off the stars.
Amiya leaned forward, hands clasped in her lap.
[Amiya]: He's a Sankta… but not?
[Hogun]: His people aren't from Laterano. They look like Sankta, maybe even share some heritage. But they were something else—something closer to avatars of balance. Light stood for peace and order. His son…
I glanced sideways at the prince, whose eyes remained closed
[Hogun]: …carries the weight of that loss.
The Doctor leaned back, his fingers tapping slowly against the edge of the screen.
[Doctor]: Why bring him here? To Lungmen?
[Hogun]: Because if Red Khan or Pirate Queen made it anywhere, it'd be a hub of activity. Markets. Chaos. Trade. And trouble. They're creatures of chaos in a world trying to be calm. Someone will have seen them… or what's left behind.
The chopper began to descend. Out the window, Lungmen sprawled below like a beast of steel and smoke, neon arteries pulsing between its concrete bones.
[Pilot]: Landing in two minutes. Brace for turbulence.
The prince opened his eyes at last. Twin void-colored irises shimmered like galaxies imploding.
[Dark Prince]: This place is... heavy with sorrow.
[Hogun]: Welcome to Terra.
The skids touched down.
I grabbed the folder with the pictures, the last three syringes clipped to my chest. My katana never left my side.
Time to search the belly of the beast for echoes of my missing comrades.
The landing gear hissed as we touched down on the reinforced pad, right outside Lungmen's central administrative district. Before the blades even stopped spinning, I saw her—Ch'en.
She stood tall in her polished black uniform, sword strapped at her side, arms crossed, tail twitching behind her like a warning. A convoy of armored cars flanked her, L.G.D. troopers standing at attention.
Stepping beside me, Frostnova muttered.
[Frostnova]: Sharp tail. Sharper sword. You really are going to try it, aren't you?
[Hogun]: Depends. Is she into stubborn generals?
As I approached, Ch'en's eyes briefly flicked toward the Dark Prince before locking onto mine. Her stance shifted—just slightly—but enough to notice.
[Ch'en]: General Hogun. Doctor. Welcome to Lungmen.
[Hogun]: Lady Ch'en. A pleasure. I was wondering when I'd meet the blade that keeps this city breathing.
She blinked. Just once. But her tail stopped moving. It worked.
Ch'en cleared her throat and stepped aside quickly.
[Ch'en]: We're to meet with Chief Wei. He wishes to discuss… certain developments. Including that.
She nodded toward the syringes in the Doctor's hand.
The convoy ride was quiet, though the tension hung in the air like fog. Ch'en avoided looking at me, and Frostnova kept nudging my elbow with the smugness of someone who saw everything.
We arrived at a towering building carved from black jade and glass. Inside, seated at the head of a long lacquered table, was Chief Wei—dressed in a finely pressed robe, his eyes sharp as a sword tip and just as cutting.
[Chief Wei]: So. This is the one who brought the cure. And dared to flirt with my niece before a formal greeting.
Ch'en, standing at his right, flushed immediately. Her tail snapped once, and she hissed under her breath.
[Ch'en]: Chief Wei—!
[Hogun]: To be fair, I did say it was a pleasure meeting her.
[Frostnova]: More like trying to make her dessert.
Wei looked like thunder wrapped in silk, then focused on the folder and syringes I placed in front of him.
[Hogun]: You know the rumors. I'm here to confirm them. Three doses. A working cure. And a request.
[Wei]: What kind of request?
[Hogun]: Information. My people—Red Khan, Pirate Queen, Hast, and Light Angel—may have passed through here. Or something connected to them might have. I need your resources to track them.
[Wei]: We've heard nothing. But Lungmen doesn't forget visitors like that. If they were here, we'd know.
The Dark Prince's voice cut in then, low, smooth, echoing.
[Dark Prince]: They are not gone. Only hidden by a veil that even gods dare not peer through.
The room chilled for a moment.
[Wei]: …Interesting company you keep.
[Hogun]: They're family.
He tapped a finger on the syringes.
[Wei]: This cure changes the balance of Terra. You're offering it freely?
[Hogun]: I'm offering an alliance. A cure in exchange for a partnership. And trust.
[Wei]: And my niece's hand, too, perhaps?
[Ch'en]: CHIEF WEI!
The room cracked with awkward silence. James—still wearing the mask with Frostnova's doodle on it—choked on nothing and coughed into his arm. The Doctor scribbled a note. Frostnova actually started laughing.
I held my ground.
[Hogun]: I mean, I wouldn't say no.
Ch'en stormed out of the room, tail like a whip.
[Wei]: She takes after her mother. Dangerous and easily flustered.
I whispered
[Hogun:] She's incredible.
[Wei]: I heard that.
The meeting continued—but the tone had shifted. The tension was still there… but now, it had teeth.
And maybe, just maybe, a heartbeat.
[Later]
The bell above the cake shop door jingled softly as we stepped inside. The scent of fresh cream and sugar rolled over us like a warm blanket, and for a moment, even with all the tension and politics, we just felt like a bunch of tired people needing something sweet.
I'd given my last two slices of honey-sponge cake to Frostnova and Ch'en. Frost was happily digging into hers while James hovered nearby, giving her unsolicited tactical advice on cake consumption. She responded by flicking whipped cream onto his mask, giggling.
I had nothing left in my hands, so I dropped into a corner seat and let my body melt into the cushion. Ch'en—surprisingly—followed and sat across from me.
[Hogun]: So, Lady Ch'en… no sword pointed at my chest this time. That's an improvement.
Miss Ch'en was glancing away, but clearly not leaving
[Ch'en]: You're still on thin ice. But the cake earned you temporary leniency.
[Hogun]: Sweet things for a sweeter smile.
Her ears twitched. Her tail gave a single, embarrassed flick.
[Ch'en]: You're shameless.
[Hogun]: You noticed.
We talked—really talked—for once. Her voice softened when she spoke about Lungmen's struggles. I told her about Sky City and the others I was trying to find. She listened—actually listened—not like a soldier, but like someone who had been waiting for a reason to lower her guard.
And then I felt it.
A burning presence. A pressure like a blade resting against my throat.
I looked across the street. There, in the next dum sum shop, sat a "businessman" sipping tea. His face was unreadable… but the two guards beside him? Their glares were drilling holes through my skull.
I muttered in a lower voice.
[Hogun]: Chief Wei. I see you.
[Ch'en]: What was that?"
[Hogun]: Nothing. Just admiring the… decor.
It was going well. Too well. Which meant, naturally, disaster was inbound.
Because just then—
CRASH.
The door flew open like it owed someone money. Hoshiguma strolled in like a walking mountain. Her grin was equal parts amused and predatory.
[Hoshiguma]: Ch'en~ I've been looking everywhere for you. Time's up!
And before I could say "second date," Hoshiguma scooped Ch'en up in her arms like a bridal carry and strolled out of the store like a victorious wrestler with a prize.
I stared in disbelief.
[Hogun]: …That's… that's not even fair.
James, now with another doodle of frosting on his mask courtesy of Frostnova, was scribbling furiously into a notebook.
[James]: New protocol suggestion: Code Sweetheart Snatch. Defensive countermeasures for date interference. Anti-coworker extraction net… maybe taser cuffs…
Frostnova was already ordering another slice of cake. She patted my shoulder on the way back.
[Frostnova]: You're improving. Next time, maybe you'll get past ten minutes.
Sighing as I leaned back]
[Hogun]: Next time, I'll bring a rope. Or a battalion.
[Frostnova]: Bring another cake. That works too.
She smirked with that same sly grin of hers, but her eyes flicked away for just a second too long.
I turned back toward the dumpling shop across the street, locking eyes with Chief Wei. He raised his teacup again—silent, judging, furious. The porcelain shattered in his hand from how tightly he gripped it.
I didn't flinch.
[Hogun]: Next time.
I turned to Frostnova and gave her a rare, honest smile.
[Hogun]: At least I have you next to me, Frostnova.
That did it.
Her eyes widened, cheeks going scarlet like someone slapped a strawberry on each side. She muttered something that might've been "shut up" or "you idiot" and then bolted out of the cake shop, trailing frosted crumbs behind her.
Chief Wei's shattered teacup was now bleeding down his wrist. His death glare was strong enough to crack glass. His guards were inching toward their weapons.
[Hogun]: …James, did I say something I shouldn't have?
James didn't even look up from his notebook.
[James]: General, can you please—please—stop flirting with every single woman we meet?
[Hogun]: Flirting? James, I don't even know how to flirt. I just say stuff.
Dark Prince, from the booth behind me, was sipping tea, said.
[Dark Prince]: Wow… no wonder Father said your density was heavier than the moon.
[James]: We're going to die from cake-related diplomatic fallout. This is how empires fall.
[Hogun]: You think if I brought Chief Wei some cake, he'd stop plotting my assassination?
[James]: He might stab you with the fork. But... worth a shot.
As the chaos slowly settled and the cake shop returned to its sugar-scented peace, I thought of Frostnova, of the Dark Prince's cryptic comment, and of the shattered teacup across the street.
Another day in Terra.
And somewhere… someone was already planning my third failed date.
[Afternoon]
After a very enlightening talk with Chief Wei—if you count a fork in the shoulder as "enlightening"—we agreed to part ways peacefully. He even said he'd "consider" not declaring me a public menace. Progress?
With my arm wrapped in gauze and James muttering "Another diplomatic incident averted... barely," we made our way to one of the most well-known and chaotic companies in Terra: Penguin Logistics.
My goal was simple—post a lookout for my four missing comrades. Surely a top-tier logistics outfit would be able to pick up some traces. What could possibly go wrong?
Apparently, my mouth.
I stepped through the door, and within five minutes, both Exusiai and Texas had turned red. Not from anger—well, not entirely—but from the kind of awkward tension you get when someone like me unknowingly weaponizes sincerity.
I'd only said Exusiai's wings looked like starlight caught in motion, and Texas's eyes had a fire hidden beneath snow.
Totally normal compliments. Right?
Exusiai was fanning herself with a menu and laughing like I'd told the best joke she'd ever heard. Texas just turned her head away and muttered something about "trigger discipline." I think she was hiding behind her bangs.
Then I found myself dragged into a booth, a glass of something strong shoved into my hand, and was suddenly drinking with a penguin in a Hawaiian shirt.
[Penguin]: So you're the General everyone's gossiping about, eh? Heard you nearly broke Ch'en.
[Hogun]: I just talk. Apparently that's dangerous now.
Exusiai had latched onto my neck from behind, laughing with the high-pitched giddiness of someone three drinks in and nowhere near done. I was half-suffocated, half-confused. Texas was just sitting silently across from me, sipping a drink and shooting glances that said "I will end you if you say anything else remotely poetic."
I reached into my coat and produced a warm apple pie—yes, I always carry one—and handed it to Exusiai like I was defusing a bomb.
[Hogun]: Peace offering. Let go and you get the pie.
She gasped like I'd just proposed marriage, let go, and snatched the pie with a grin so wide her halo tilted.
[Texas]: Don't get used to this.
[Hogun]: So… can I still post a lookout order, or do I have to bribe you all with more baked goods?"
[Penguin]: Bribes accepted. But for you, General, we'll do it at a discount. First flirter's privilege.
As laughter echoed around the booth and James sighed from the corner—already writing another "Incident Report: Apple Pie Edition"—I couldn't help but smile.
Still no news on my missing friends.
But I was building a trail. And somewhere out there, they had to be watching the sky, waiting.
[Extra: The Science Girl in Another World]
[??? POV]
I opened my eyes with a throbbing headache.
Ugh. Note to self: never mix quantum vodka with nano-sake again. Everything's fuzzy—wait, why does the ceiling look like it's from a retro sci-fi movie?
Then I realized something was very, very wrong.
One—I was in a glass box.
Two—I was wearing my favorite lab coat, but it was far too big.
Three—my hands were tiny.
Four—my VR helmet was still on…? No, this isn't VR. The smell of sterilized air and recycled coolant is way too real.
And five—oh no.
I squinted at the crowd of scientists surrounding my little glass enclosure, all murmuring and taking notes on ancient clipboards. One of them, an old man with wild hair and goggles bigger than his actual eyes, leaned forward.
[Scientist 1]: Look! The subject is awake. Its ocular receptors are tracking us with precision. Fascinating.
[Scientist 2]: Incredible… we thought it would remain in stasis for another month!
…Are they seriously treating me like a test subject?
Is this some weird prank from Hogun? Or worse—Light's revenge for that one time I "borrowed" his prototype Machine Heart and reprogrammed it into a coffee maker-slash-laser cannon?
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Well, two can play this game.
[???]: Is this really your idea of scientific methodology? Observation through a glorified aquarium? Just how backwards is your data acquisition model—do you still use floppy disks too?
The room fell into dead silence. One of the interns dropped a pen.
[Scientist 3]: It speaks… in sarcasm. A higher-functioning specimen than anticipated.
[Scientist 1]: S-Subject! Please remain calm. You are in a secure containment zone. We believe you are a product of an interdimensional anomaly.
I raised a brow and muttered under my breath, "More like an alcohol-powered multiverse slip."
With a sigh, I kicked off the wall and floated gently.
Okay. Glass walls. Clean room. Ancient tech. Roleplay-tier dialogue. I was either in the world's worst sci-fi LARP, or this really was another world.
And by the sound of it… they think I'm an experiment.
[???]: Fine. If you're going to treat me like a test subject, let's make one thing clear: I'm the lead researcher now. You? Are all unpaid interns.
The silence that followed was almost comical. Scientists blinked. Pens froze mid-scribble. One guy in the back dropped his coffee.
I gave them a confident smirk and rolled my shoulders.
[Hast]: Call me Hast from now on. And someone bring me all the data you've collected on me—preferably organized and not written in crayon. I want to see every flawed assumption you've made so far.
One of the junior scientists hesitated, glancing nervously toward an older man with trembling hands and a suspiciously fraying lab coat.
[Scientist 1]: T-The SCP Foundation will not be pleased with this… An anomaly attempting to take command of its containment team is a breach of protocol.
[Hast]: Let them be pleased or not—frankly, I don't care what alphabet-soup organization you answer to. What I do care about is who's running this lab. Because clearly, you need leadership that isn't using 1990s science fair logic.
A tense moment passed before someone whispered:
[Scientist 2]: Sh-should we inform the Director…?
[Hast]: Yes. Actually, I insist. Bring me your head scientist. Or your Director. Or your Grand Wizard of Beakers—whoever's in charge.
A button was pressed. A silent alarm blinked red in the background. Moments later, a door hissed open with pneumatic flair. The scientists parted like the Red Sea, revealing a tall woman in a sleek black lab coat with metal-rimmed glasses and a clipboard that looked like it could shatter bones.
[???]: I heard the anomaly is chatty. And bossy. I like it.
She stepped into view, heels clicking on the metal floor.
Director Mira, SCP Site-56 Head of Anomalous Research
[Director Mira]: I'm Mira. Director of this facility. And you're The new anomaly we heard about why Should we let you command the science team
Hast I met her gaze steadily, letting a small, confident smile play at the corner of my lips.
[Hast]: Because, Director Mira, I'm not here to be another experiment. I'm here to be the solution. You want progress? You want results? Then you need someone who understands anomalies from the inside, not someone just poking at them from a distance.
I tapped my chest lightly.
[Hast]:I'm the variable your models can't predict. The wildcard your formulas can't contain. And that means I see the patterns no one else does.
I took a step closer, voice lowering.
[Hast]: Trust me—I'm not just a problem. I'm the answer. Now, are you going to let me prove it, or should I start proving it by less... diplomatic means?
Director Mira's eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line as she considered me, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire.
Director Mira finally nodded, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at her lips.
[Director Mira]: Very well, Hast. Welcome to the team. Let's see if you can back up that bold talk.
Exactly one month later, I found myself seated among the enigmatic members of the O5 Council. The highest echelon of authority in the Foundation
[Chapter end]