Havoc stayed on his knees, his hands covering his face as his shoulders trembled with every broken breath. "…I'm sorry…" he whispered again.
The words didn't stop. They couldn't stop. That thing... that piñata... it used to be a child. A kid who probably didn't know any better. A kid who probably just ate candy and turned into... that.
His fingers dug into his face. "…Is this... what this job is?" he muttered, his voice hoarse. "…Is this what all Directors go through?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
"…Am I even... qualified for this?" he asked quietly.
He had a system. He had tools. He had a mission. But none of that prepared him for this. Not really.
Behind him, something moved.
Soft.
Slow.
The faint scraping of something against dirt.
"Director—"
"Not now..." Havoc snapped weakly, his voice cracking. "Just... give me a minute."
"Warning—"
"I said not now!"
He didn't even look. He just sat there, trying to process what he had done. Trying to accept it.
Something touched his back.
A light, gentle tap.
Then another.
A slow, careful pat.
Havoc froze as his breath caught in his throat.
Then he heard a voice behind him.
"…thrr... th-there... therrr..."
His eyes slowly widened.
That...
That sounded like comfort.
His mind snapped back into focus. The centipede.
He slowly lowered his hands and turned his head.
Right in front of his face was the giant centipede. Its long segmented body was coiled around him like an anaconda, but the coils weren't tight. Its countless legs rested gently against the ground while its head tilted to one side, its mandibles shifting awkwardly as if it were trying to smile.
"…h-hello... frr...friend..."
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
Havoc exploded into panic.
"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!"
He kicked, twisted, flailed, and wiggled with everything he had, desperately trying to escape the centipede's coils.
"This is NOT happening! NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!!"
The centipede immediately loosened its grip. It didn't squeeze or lash out. It simply let him go.
Havoc didn't waste the chance. The moment there was enough space, he scrambled backward, nearly tripping over himself as he crawled across the dirt until he finally put several feet between them.
He stopped, both hands planted on the ground as he struggled to catch his breath.
"…Hah... hah... hah..."
His heart pounded inside his chest.
"…Nope... nope... not doing that again..." he muttered.
When he finally looked up, the centipede hadn't followed him. It remained exactly where it was, neither attacking nor chasing him. It was simply... waiting.
Havoc swallowed.
"…Wait..."
He quickly looked himself over.
No injuries.
No bite marks.
No attack.
Nothing.
Then everything replayed in his head.
The coils...
They were never tight.
The pats...
They were gentle.
The voice...
"…You were... trying to comfort me?"
The centipede simply tilted its head again and remained where it was.
Havoc sat quietly for a moment.
"…You had the chance," he said softly. "You could've crushed me... attacked me..."
But it didn't.
Not him.
Not the little girl.
Instead, it helped. It held down the piñata. It protected them.
Havoc let out a slow breath and placed a hand against his chest.
"…Okay... okay..."
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. His heartbeat finally began to settle.
"…I need to calm down," he told himself.
He wiped the remaining tears from his face and looked back at the centipede. He was still cautious and still unsure, but no longer panicking.
"…Alright..." he said quietly. "…Let's... not freak out this time."
Havoc took another deep breath before looking back at the centipede.
"Look... I'm sorry for freaking out, okay?"
The centipede remained where it was, quietly watching him.
"I... I just..." Havoc stopped. He rubbed his eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop. "...I had to put down a kid. A kid that had the misfortune of eating a fucking piñata's candy and becoming another fucking anomaly."
He lowered his head.
"I had to put him down..."
His voice cracked again.
"And... you suddenly wrapping yourself around me wasn't exactly the best move right now. I'm still a little jumpy."
He looked back up at the centipede.
"But... now that I know you weren't trying to hurt me..." He let out a shaky breath. "...I'm sorry for freaking out."
The giant centipede tilted its head. Its expression was hard to read, but something about it felt... understanding.
Havoc wasn't sure why.
He just had that feeling.
The centipede opened its mandibles.
"…i-it… okaay…"
Havoc blinked.
"...You understood me."
The centipede gave a small nod.
"And... you can actually talk."
"…l-little… b-bit…" the centipede replied.
Havoc couldn't help but stare.
"So... you really are trying to communicate."
An awkward silence settled between them.
After a moment, Havoc reached toward his A.R.E.S. Band before stopping halfway.
"...Actually..."
He slowly lowered his hand.
"No... I should probably ask first."
The centipede watched him curiously.
"Hey, listen... I know we're only just starting to trust each other, but..." He held up his wrist. "...would it be okay if I scanned you? I want to know what kind of SCP you are."
The centipede looked at the strange device.
It clearly didn't understand what a scan was.
But it did understand something else.
Havoc was asking permission.
After a few seconds, it gave a small nod.
"…o-okay…"
Havoc smiled faintly.
"Thanks."
He raised his wrist toward the anomaly.
"A.R.E.S., begin scan."
"Scanning target..."
A soft blue light swept across the centipede from head to tail.
"Estimated completion time: five minutes."
"...Five minutes," Havoc sighed. "Right... I forgot."
Neither of them moved.
The centipede quietly watched Havoc.
Havoc quietly watched the centipede.
...
"...Well..."
...
"This is kind of awkward."
The centipede tilted its head again.
"…a-awk…ward…?"
Havoc scratched the back of his head.
"...Yeah."
Another quiet silence filled the jungle as the scan continued, leaving the two of them simply staring at each other while they waited for the results.
After spending a few minutes explaining what "awkward" meant, Havoc and the centipede fell silent again. Neither of them had much else to say as they waited for the scan to finish.
A soft chime came from the A.R.E.S. Band.
Scan complete.
Havoc looked down at the display. Before he could read it, the System appeared in front of him.
Target Identified
SCP-3153 – "I Want to Be Your Friend"
Object Class: Euclid
SCP-3153 is a large anomalous centipede capable of rapid biological regeneration and adaptation. The anomaly possesses above-average intelligence and displays an unusually strong desire to establish friendships with humans. Rather than behaving like a typical predator, SCP-3153 actively seeks companionship, often attempting to imitate human speech, behavior, and mannerisms through prolonged observation.
SCP-3153 is capable of gradually learning languages and improving its communication over time. It frequently assists individuals it considers friends and has demonstrated protective behavior toward those companions. While physically capable of defending itself, Foundation records indicate that SCP-3153 rarely resorts to violence and instead favors peaceful interaction whenever possible.
The anomaly's regenerative capabilities allow it to recover from injuries that would normally prove fatal to similar organisms. Continued observation is recommended due to its adaptive biological nature and unpredictable developmental potential.
Havoc stared at the screen.
"...That's one hell of a long codename."
He looked over at the giant centipede.
"So... 'I Want to Be Your Friend,' huh?"
The centipede tilted its head.
"…f-friend…"
A small smile appeared on Havoc's face.
"...Yeah. That definitely fits you."
Before he could say anything else, another message appeared.
Warning: Behavioral inconsistencies detected.
Havoc frowned.
"...Behavioral inconsistencies?"
Current observations do not fully match SCP Foundation records regarding SCP-3153.
His smile faded.
"...What do you mean?"
Foundation records describe SCP-3153 as an anomaly that consistently avoids physical conflict, even when confronted by other anomalous entities. Documented behavior indicates repeated attempts to establish peaceful interaction before resorting to self-defense.
Another line appeared.
During this encounter, SCP-3153 immediately intervened against SCP-956 to protect nearby civilians. This behavior has not been documented within existing Foundation records.
Another followed.
Current subject has also demonstrated a greater degree of situational awareness, emotional understanding, and verbal communication than previously recorded. Existing Foundation files contain no record of SCP-3153 respecting another individual's personal boundaries after being rejected or recognizing emotional distress to provide comfort.
Havoc read the report twice before looking back at the centipede.
"...So... you're different from what the Foundation knew."
The centipede simply blinked, clearly unaware of what the System was saying.
Havoc crossed his arms.
"...Then explain something to me."
He looked back at the System.
"...If that's what the files say... then why is this SCP acting differently right now?"
The System paused for a moment before responding.
Insufficient data to reach a definitive conclusion. Current assessment remains theoretical.
One possible explanation is environmental influence. The world currently occupied by SCP-3153 may be affecting its development, allowing behavioral and cognitive changes not previously documented by the SCP Foundation.
Observed differences include increased emotional awareness, improved situational judgment, enhanced verbal communication, and actions that deviate from archived Foundation records.
At this time, the System cannot determine how or why these changes are occurring. Additional observation is required.
Havoc let out a long sigh.
"...That's not exactly the answer I was hoping for."
If one SCP could change...
What about the others?
Could every anomaly that ended up in this crazy-ass world evolve too?
The thought sent a chill through him.
Then he remembered.
"...Damn it."
He had completely forgotten to ask the System about that earlier.
Everything had happened so fast. Between rescuing the little girl and stopping that crazy-ass fucking piñata before it hurt anyone else, the question had completely slipped his mind.
He shook his head.
"I'll yell at myself for that later."
Right now, he needed answers.
And the only one who might have them was sitting a few feet away.
Havoc looked at SCP-3153 – "I Want to Be Your Friend" (Euclid).
The giant centipede quietly returned his gaze.
Then Havoc remembered something else.
Back at the Foundation, he had already made one change as the new Director.
Instead of forcing every harmless anomaly to live as nothing more than a number, he decided that any SCP classified as Safe, or any cooperative anomaly that posed no active threat, deserved a real name.
That's how SCP-131 had become Ben and Jerry.
Looking at the centipede now, Havoc realized this was different.
Unlike the Eye Pods, this SCP could actually speak.
Maybe...
Maybe it could tell him something.
He leaned forward slightly.
"Hey..."
The centipede tilted its head.
"…h-hm…?"
Havoc smiled a little.
"Do you have a name?"
He waited quietly for the centipede's answer.
The centipede looked at Havoc for a moment before opening its mandibles.
"…n-no… r-remember… n-name…"
Havoc let out a long, tired sigh.
"Well... it was worth a shot."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I can't exactly keep calling you by your codename. It's ridiculous, if you ask me. I don't know who came up with the name 'I Want to Be Your Friend,' but whoever did probably should've picked a different career."
The centipede stared at him in confusion.
Havoc blinked.
"...Yeah, never mind. That was probably too much to understand."
He chuckled weakly.
"I'll explain it another time, okay? Right now, let's worry about something more important."
He crossed his arms and thought.
"A name..."
Minutes ago, he probably could have come up with something.
Now?
After everything that had happened, his brain felt completely drained.
Besides, he had never been good at naming things.
"...Fuck it."
He shrugged.
"I'll call you Frank."
He looked at the centipede.
"Is that okay with you?"
The centipede's eyes lit up.
Before Havoc could react, Frank happily coiled around him again. This time the grip was gentle as the giant centipede nuzzled the side of Havoc's face like an excited dog greeting its owner after a long day.
Havoc laughed nervously.
"Okay, okay! You don't have to get that happy about it."
He smiled despite himself.
"Believe me, Frank is a pretty ordinary name."
Frank looked at him with obvious excitement.
"…l-like… n-name…" He gently rubbed his head against Havoc's shoulder. "…m-make… h-happy…"
Havoc smiled.
"...I'm glad you like it."
Instead of pushing him away like before, he simply let Frank enjoy the moment.
Surprisingly...
It felt nice.
After a few seconds, Frank loosened his coils.
Havoc looked at him.
"Alright, Frank. Now that you've got a name, I have a few more questions."
Frank tilted his head.
"…q-question…?"
Havoc nodded.
"Yeah."
He glanced toward the direction where the fight had happened.
"Why did you help that little girl?"
Frank became quiet.
He looked toward the forest for a moment before answering in his slow, distorted voice.
"…l-little... h-human... s-scared…"
He placed one of his front legs against his chest.
"…F-Frank... n-not... l-like... s-scared..."
He lowered it again.
"…b-bad... m-monster... h-hurt... l-little h-human..."
Frank looked back at Havoc.
"…F-Frank... h-help..."
Havoc remained silent.
The answer was simple.
Frank hadn't fought because he hated the piñata.
He hadn't fought because he wanted revenge.
He fought because he saw a frightened child... and wanted to protect her.
Havoc nodded slowly.
"Alright... another question."
Frank looked at him.
"…o-okay…"
"How long have you been on this island?"
Frank looked toward the jungle as if trying to remember.
The silence lasted several seconds before he answered.
"…d-don't... k-know…"
He lowered his head.
"…v-very... l-long…"
Havoc gave a small nod.
"I figured."
There was no point pushing him to remember something he clearly couldn't. If Frank had been here for a long time, whatever memories he once had were probably gone.
Havoc took a breath.
"One more thing."
Frank looked back at him.
"The file I have on you says you normally don't attack other anomalies. By that, I mean strange creatures like that piñata. It says you usually try to befriend them instead. You rarely fight anyone unless you absolutely have to."
He paused.
"So... did this island change the way you think?"
Frank didn't answer right away.
He looked down at the ground before speaking in his slow, distorted voice.
"…w-when... F-Frank... c-come... h-here…"
He tapped the dirt with one of his legs.
"…t-try... b-be... f-friend..."
His voice grew quieter.
"…n-not... w-work..."
Havoc listened carefully.
Frank continued.
"…s-some... s-strange... t-things..." He shook his head. "…n-no... h-heart..."
He looked toward the direction where SCP-956 had been.
"…o-only... h-hurt..."
Frank's mandibles lowered slightly.
"…F-Frank... l-learn..."
He looked back at Havoc.
"…c-can't... b-be... f-friend... w-with... e-everyone..."
The words hung in the air.
Havoc didn't interrupt.
Frank finished his thought.
"…i-if... s-someone... h-hurt... l-little... h-humans..." He gently tapped his chest. "…F-Frank... s-stop... t-them..."
Havoc remained silent.
The Foundation's file hadn't been wrong.
Frank still wanted friends.
He had simply learned something the Foundation had never recorded.
Not every creature wanted friendship.
And sometimes... protecting innocent people meant standing against those that couldn't be reasoned with.
Havoc listened to Frank's answer and smiled.
"...I'm proud of you."
He reached over and gently patted the giant centipede's head.
Frank's body relaxed as a series of soft clicking noises escaped his mandibles, almost like a cat purring.
"You did a good job, Frank. Thanks to you, that little girl didn't become another anomaly. And you gave me the time I needed to... put down that fucking piñata."
His smile slowly faded.
His eyes drifted toward the motionless body of the piñata clone.
The child it used to be.
He sighed.
"...Damn it."
He slapped both cheeks with his hands.
"Not right now."
Another slap.
"I'm not crying right now."
He took a deep breath.
"None of this is over."
He looked back toward the jungle.
"There are still two more of those SCP piñata anomalies out there. The problem is... I don't know where the fuck they are."
His shoulders dropped.
"And I'm pretty sure Frank doesn't know where any nearby towns or villages are either."
The thought made his stomach twist.
He hoped...
He prayed...
That he wasn't already too late.
"The only person who might know something is that little girl..."
He rubbed his forehead.
"...And she's still unconscious."
"...Fuck my life."
Havoc sat down on the ground, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
Frank slowly coiled around him again, gently resting part of his body against Havoc's shoulder in another attempt to comfort him.
Havoc smiled weakly.
"Thanks, Frank. I know you're trying to help... but right now I need a little personal space. Can you do that for me?"
Frank immediately loosened his coils and backed away.
"…o-okay…"
He quietly settled beside Havoc, giving him the room he asked for.
A few seconds later...
Grrrrrrr...
Havoc blinked.
"...Seriously?"
He looked down at his stomach.
"Oh boy... with all the shit that's been going on, I completely forgot to eat. I guess fighting really works up an appetite."
He looked over at Frank.
"Hey, Frank."
The centipede lifted his head.
"…y-yes…?"
"Would you like to come back with me to the Foundation?"
Frank listened quietly.
"I promise... it won't be like the last time you were in containment."
Havoc smiled.
"You won't be treated like a monster. I'll make sure you have a home that's a lot more comfortable than the one you used to have."
Frank became silent.
For a brief moment, old memories surfaced.
Cold containment walls.
Observation windows.
Researchers.
Isolation.
He never hated the Foundation.
He only wished someone would stay and be his friend.
Then he looked at Havoc.
This Foundation...
Felt different.
This Director...
Was different.
A happy series of clicks echoed from Frank as he eagerly wrapped himself around Havoc once more.
Havoc laughed.
"Alright, alright."
He gently patted Frank's head.
"I'll take that as a yes."
He looked ahead.
"System, open the door."
A large reinforced steel doorway materialized in front of them. With a heavy mechanical hiss, the massive blast doors slowly slid apart, revealing the entrance to the Foundation's pocket dimension.
Havoc smiled at Frank.
"Come on. Let's go home."
Together, the Director and the giant centipede walked through the steel doorway into the Foundation. Once they were inside, the reinforced blast doors slowly slid shut behind them with a deep metallic thunk.
After making sure Frank was settled in, Havoc stepped back and looked around the habitat he had prepared.
It wasn't a containment cell anymore.
The room had been redesigned into a comfortable home. Soft soil covered the floor, with large rocks and fallen logs for Frank to climb over. Thick patches of moss lined the corners, while a shallow stream of clean water flowed through one side of the habitat. In the center sat a large padded bed, almost like an oversized dog bed, big enough for Frank to curl up comfortably.
Frank slowly looked around his new home.
"…h-home…"
Havoc smiled.
"Yeah. Home."
Not far away, Ben and Jerry peeked around a corner. The two Eye Pods cautiously stared at the strange giant centipede. Frank simply looked back at them, waiting.
Ben slowly rolled closer.
Jerry followed.
Frank lowered his head to their level.
A few moments later, Ben bumped against Frank's face while Jerry happily rolled underneath one of his coils. Frank answered with a series of cheerful clicking noises before gently nudging them both.
Before long, the three anomalies were chasing one another around the habitat like pets playing together in a park.
Havoc couldn't help but laugh.
"...Guess I was worried over nothing."
A familiar notification appeared before him.
Director. The human child is beginning to regain consciousness.
His smile disappeared.
"...Already."
His thoughts immediately returned to the little girl.
She might know where her village was.
She might know where the remaining SCP-956 instances had gone.
If he couldn't stop them...
"...God... fuck... I pray I'm not already too late."
He looked back at Frank.
"Frank, stay here with Ben and Jerry, okay?"
Frank nodded happily.
"…o-okay…"
He immediately returned to playing with the two Eye Pods.
At least he wouldn't be lonely.
Havoc turned toward the hallway.
"System, take me to the Medical Bay."
The Medical Bay doors slid open a few moments later.
Havoc walked straight toward the medical capsule containing the little girl and stopped beside it.
"System, tell me her diagnosis. How is she?"
Patient condition stable. Dehydration successfully treated. Moderate malnutrition detected. No life-threatening injuries remain. Vital signs are normal. Estimated time until consciousness: less than one minute.
Havoc nodded.
"Good."
Just then, the girl's fingers twitched.
Her eyelids slowly began to move.
"...She's waking up."
"System, open the capsule."
With a loud hiss, the capsule slowly opened as cool air escaped into the room.
The little girl slowly opened her eyes.
At first she only saw bright lights above her.
Then...
She saw Havoc standing in front of her.
Her eyes widened in terror.
"AAAAAHHH!!"
She scrambled backward across the medical bed as fast as she could, screaming in fear.
"Hey! Hey!" Havoc quickly raised both hands. "Look at me. You're safe, okay? You're safe! The monster's dead. It can't hurt you anymore."
The little girl slowly stopped screaming.
She looked around the room.
Everything looked strange.
The walls were bright white.
The machines were unlike anything she had ever seen.
Everything looked... shiny.
"W-Where... where am I?" she asked, her voice filled with fear.
Havoc hesitated.
How was he supposed to explain that she was inside a secret Foundation hidden inside a pocket dimension that only he could access because of a mysterious System?
That sounded ridiculous.
Even if she was just a child...
He wasn't willing to expose the Foundation yet.
Besides, he had no way to erase her memory afterward.
"You're in a very safe place," Havoc answered gently. "That's all I can tell you right now, little one. But... I need you to answer one question."
He looked at her seriously.
"What island are we on?"
The little girl stared at him.
She remembered him.
He was the man who grabbed her.
The man who saved her from the horrible piñata monster...
And the giant centipede.
Instead of answering...
She suddenly threw her arms around him.
"I-I thought... I was going to die..."
She broke down crying.
Havoc froze.
Then he closed his eyes.
"...I'm an idiot."
Of course.
She had just lived through one of the most terrifying experiences imaginable.
And the first thing he did was ask her questions.
He gently wrapped an arm around her and softly rubbed her back.
"Hey... hey... I told you already. The monster's dead. You're safe now. It's okay."
He continued comforting her like someone soothing a child after a terrible nightmare.
Slowly...
Her crying faded.
A few minutes later, the little girl wiped the tears from her face.
Havoc smiled kindly.
"Feeling better now?"
She nodded.
"...Yeah."
"Good." He gave her another moment before asking again. "Can you tell me what island we're on?"
The little girl looked at his strange clothes again.
He definitely wasn't from around here.
"We're... on Ohara."
She paused.
"In the West Blue."
Havoc nodded automatically.
"Okay... Ohara... West Blue..."
Then...
His face suddenly went pale.
It felt as though a pane of glass had shattered inside his mind.
"...Tell me again."
His own voice came out as a frightened squeak.
The little girl blinked.
"I said... we're on Ohara. In the West Blue."
Every feeling in Havoc's body disappeared.
His legs suddenly felt weak.
Everything clicked.
The girl's face.
Her age.
The island.
The West Blue.
He looked at her with desperate hope.
There was only one question left.
"...What's your name?"
Please...
Please don't say it.
Please, Jesus...
Please, God...
Don't let me be here.
The little girl smiled softly.
"My name..."
She paused.
"...Nico Robin."
Silence.
Everything stopped.
Havoc stared at her without blinking.
His last bit of hope disappeared.
"...I'm..."
He swallowed hard.
"...I'm in One Piece."
The words barely escaped his mouth.
There was no denying it anymore.
He wasn't just in another world.
He was standing on Ohara...
Only years before the Buster Call that would change the world forever.