The Trials that lay Ahead

It was just another day at the site. The staff was working, the computers were beeping, and the MTF's were training. But then we see a town far away somewhere in Rural New York. Suddenly an explosion happens and Anon-1 goes flying. Samsara-1 gives him a hand and 1 just swats it away. "I don't need help, just get moving". 2 runs over to 1 and 1 orders. "Get that big gun up there now". 2 pushes forward as bullets bounce and clank on his armor. 2 starts to fire and takes out 12 bots while Samsara-2 shoots another 5. Samsara-3 is seen jumping out of a window from a building ahead, as he falls a bot is caught on his boots. When they land the bot explodes. "Anderson Robotics is sure pissed" 3 mentions. A robot then grabs hold of 3 but 3 simply moves his hand ripping it in half. 4 grabs a robot and rips it in half clean and clear. "Thank God for our Super Strength". 4 then pulls out a shotgun, a Remington 870, and blasts another bot's head into a million pieces. Samsara pushes forward closer to a building, clear silver, and blue glowing lines. 4 looks to it as he comments. "Finally found one of their headquarters", 3 stares at the building and how tall it is. "All-Father said it was made by The Infinity Coalition and handed over to Anderson Robotics". 4 heavily breathes in and out. "Shit, how many of these damn things are there," 4 pants that just after shooting another bot. 2 sees at least another 40 bots running to them. "Here we go, baby", 2 revs up his Minigun and blasts them all. The Robots stop and get shredded by a hail fire of bullets. 2 stops his Minigun then takes one breath before saying. "Alright, come on we need to get moving; Samsara is ahead of us".

All 4 of the Anon members move forward breathing heavy, wondering if signing up for another 10 years really was a good idea. As the 4 of them make it to the building Samsara-1 turns to them all. "Damn are you guys slow. Do you think you old dogs can keep up with us in there though". 3 cops an attitude. "Oh fuck off douchesara". Samsara squad just all smiles then head in. Anon moves in after them. Anon was truly happy to see Samsara, as they thought they'd be hitting this site all on their own. Even better Anon was in charge this time. As all 8 MTF members move in they see massive machines making and producing parts and bots. Bots being pieced together then welded into a perfect form. 4 looks on in joy at all the history he could learn from this place, 3 looks at it all like the stuff he could sell on the Black Market. 2 just looks at it as if it's another Nazi war machine. 1 sees it as both innovation, but a massive threat to humanity. Samsara all look on at it as another mission nothing else. 4 gestures to 3 then to a ground-level conveyor belt. "Hey if you get me one of the pieces of the bots over there, I can study it, then let you sell it afterward". 3 smirks at the idea and walks over to a ground-level conveyor belt. 3 looks on at all the pieces before him then sees it, a gun that looks far different than anything he's ever seen. It looked like an XM556 Micro Gun but was more cog shaped and much larger.

As 3 goes to pick it up Samsara-2 stops him. "Are you kidding me, you see a gun and you want to pick it up"? 3 just smiles then picks it up, everyone stops and looks to him. No alarm, no warning, nothing happens. 3 then just smirks. "See nothing happened, so I recommend we grab other things for study, right 4". 4 nods in agreement, Samsara-1 nods, 1 then orders. "Samsara-3 and 4 head back with Anon-3 and 4 to the jeeps at the beginning of the city and bring them here. Then load anything you can into them". All of them nod and head off, before 3 leaves 1 grabs the gun from him and hands it to 2. 3 grumbles. "I never get anything". 1 glares at 3. "Quit your bitching you'll get it back after we're done".

3 nods and then heads off, but not before he takes another piece off the conveyor belt. Sadly as 3 exits the building an alarm goes off. "Uh oh" 1 knows what's to come next. 3 outside of the building sees a Plasma grid come up around the building. Samsara-1 just sighs. "Fucking old dogs". 1 glares at Samsara-1; "We are old, but we can still bite move out". 1 and 2 lead the way past the construction room into a large lobby with what looks like a woman at the desk. She was very finely built almost so well, that 1 for a minute couldn't tell it was a robot. The robot stands up from her circular desk, to look at 1 and 2 as well as Samsara. "He's been waiting for you". The bot then opens an elevator behind her. All 4 MTF members move into the elevator cautiously knowing it might be a trap.

As the four moves on up, 3 and 4 move back to the jeeps, while Samsara-3 and 4 waits by the building. D.A.A. then comes on and greets 3 and 4. "Hello Anon how are you today"? 3 just mutters. "Not well I trapped 1 and 2 in a building". D.A.A. uses satellites to look at the building. "Ah, I see, well I could take a crack at hacking into and shutting down the shields". D.A.A. then patiently waits for 3 or 4 to answer. 4 looks to 3. "I'll head back and have her take a crack at it". 3 nods and then 4 heads back to the building, before 4 leaves out of earshot 3 tells him. "Hey send Samsara back to me, I'll need help with the jeeps". 4 waves his hand and then moves on. As 4 reaches the two Samsara-3 and 4 he looks back to the jeeps. "3 needs your help". Samsara-4 asks. "What about you"? 4 gestures for them to go "I'll be fine believe me, plus I'm gonna try and get this building open". Samsara-3 and 4 both wish him luck, then move back to the jeeps. As 4 looks to the Plasma grid, he mutters. "Man 2 I wish you were working on this".

1,2 and Samsara-1 and 2 move up in the elevator only for it to stop. As the doors open they see a man sitting at a desk far away on the other side of the room. As they move out of the elevator they all see white blaring, and then the man fades into it. The man opens his mouth and everything is pushed by heavy winds and immense force, except for them. "Why have you come to us". 1 demands to know; "What do you mean us"? The Light starts to move down and a man and a woman step out of it. The two were bathed in the Light and it was good. All the MTF members could feel as if they were in the presence of something even greater than SCP-343. The woman stands there covered in armor made of Light. While the man covered in robes of Pure Energy moves forward. The energy was bright, so bright. The man then speaks with a chorus of Angelic voices behind it. "We are all, we are everywhere, we are everything. We are God, and he is us". The voice is heard more clearly as the chorus dies down. "Or more accurately, he left pieces of himself in us, we are his children, we are the Infinites". Infinites few knew about them and the few that did were believed to be insane. Infinites no matter what you did they would never die, at least not by mortal hands. Just their presence was enough to make even the most stubborn Atheist praise God. They were pure light and all that could or would be good.

2 tries to step forward but feels as if he'd burn in Hellfire if he did. 1 puts his hand to the Infinite and it burns him clean. 1 pulls back and falls to his knees, he feels as if all the evil within him is trying to run. But all the good is trying to push him into the Light. The Infinites then stop and disappear. Samsara-1 and 2 just stare in shock at what they saw, something of Pure Energy and Light. Samsara then looks over to 1. 1 rips off his gloves and a seal burns into his hands. The seal was an image of white wings made of silk and gold. They all stop and look around as the room comes to life, and the Anderson Robotics symbol pops up, on a screen covering the large window behind the desk. 1 gets up as a voice calls out. "Hello Anon, hello Samsara". The MTF members just stare at the lines as they move to make a sound like a robotic voice heavily distorted. "So you've finally found me". All the MTF members are too shook up by what just happened to answer. "Yes it is amazing isn't it all The Infinity Coalition gave us". 2 stares at Anderson with shock. "So you're not aware of what just happened"? Anderson sounds perplexed. "I sensed a disturbance of energy to the likes which I've never seen, but no I don't know what just happened". 1 and 2 know they have to tell All-Father, but first, they need to deal with Anderson.

2 walks to the screen then finds a panel and shuts Anderson off. Anderson's final words mutter out sounding like that Infinite. "Remember The End". Everyone just stares at the now blank screen as 2 mentions. "Anderson is likely still out there. While going through the panel I found a signal coming from Space and then to Russia". 1 turns to 2. "Where in Russia"? "Where do you think Siberia". As they all exit the elevator back down at the main floor they see 3 and 4 with Samsara-3 and 4 gathering all the weapons and machines. 1 goes outside and takes off his helmet. He looks to the setting Sun with his green eyes. "Command we need retrieval teams here now". 1 then just looks down to the ground then to his hands. 1 gets lost in the symbol on them. "No matter how dirty your past is, your future is still spotless" 1 smiles after saying that. He then turns to 2. "Drake the rapper said that", 2 looks to the sun as well and wonders about his father and all the things he did in WWII. "My father has such a muddled past, such a dirty one, I don't know if that's the case for him, or me". 3 and 4 walk out carrying all sorts of guns and bot parts. 4 sets them down in the jeeps then 3 looks to the Sun. "I always wanted to be like my ancestors, riding free. Living free, now look at me". 4 just stares at a bot's head, even though it's lifeless it feels like there's more pain in its eyes more than even his. 4 sighs and then gets in the jeep as Foundation helicopters, Pave Lows start to arrive. The rest of them get in and then start to move out of the area as Samsara waits behind to help with the cleanup.

Anon returns home to the site, this time though they return with pockets filled and empty hearts. As Anon gets out of the jeep staff rush over to grab the weapons and bots to be classified and secured. Anon move back to their room but feel as if what they saw back there was too much. 1 and 2 especially. Once in their room All-Father, and the woman that brought them all there step into their room. All-Father congratulates them. "Good job Anon, you did very well today". Anon all just look distraught and broken. The woman steps forward. "Would it help if I told you all my code name". All of them look up slightly interested as she says. "Light Bearer", but that doesn't help, it just makes it far worse to know someone as cruel as her has a name like that. 2 finally speaks up. "We saw an Infinite today". All-Father and Light Bearer both look confused, Light Bearer looks to them all. "What is an Infinite". 1 shows them his hands and both of them rush to him. Light Bearer looks at it, trying her best to carefully analyze it. 4 looks at 1's hands and recognizes it. "That's the symbol of God's gift. There was once an ancient society of worshipers that sounded very similar to The Infinity Coalition. They worshipped entities known as Anu Taya Wates. It's Sundanese and it means The Infinite Ones. Every single one of them had that symbol on their hands, it was claimed that when they had it on them they could not die".

All-Father looks at the symbol then to all of them. "Then you're next mission is to find where this society was and is, then capture or take any items allowing us to understand this more". Anon gets up but Light Bearer suggests. "Maybe they should get rest before heading out". Anon all leave the room and had to the mess hall. Anon sits and waits as they poke at their food. 2 starts to eat but the rest just sit there and think of what will come next. 3 and 4 didn't know what to think of what 1 and 2 told them. Even worse they couldn't say it wasn't real as they had evidence it happened. Anon just sits there quietly waiting to see if those things will return, or if what 1 and 2 saw was it and nothing will come of it. Anon finally start to eat as they see Samsara and All-Father walk in. All-Father approaches them and asks. "So Anon are you ready"? Anon tries to ignore him, All-Father hits the table. "Hey are you ready"! 1 looks up to All-Father. "No, we are not, and I don't know if we ever will be". 1 sounded extremely frustrated. Samsara-1 then moves to the table with her new body. 2 looks to her. "Did you trade in the man for a whore". Samsara-1 looks insulted. "What I'm not a whore" she squeaked. Samsara-1 tries her best to ignore what was just said. "Listen I remember when we first heard of Anon. How great and powerful they were, so powerful they took on a god and won". She then flaunts herself. "And a woman is truly grateful to those that would do such a thing for humanity". 3 stares at her. "We didn't do that for humanity. When we met God he knew of a supposed god. The god was claiming he was God so we went, and found him then killed him".

3 smirks as he thinks of what God gave to each of them for their service, but the smile turns to hate as he thinks of how he lost it. 2 thinks of the chance he had and how he didn't take it because of 4. 4 regrets taking his though, knowing all of human history was a heavy burden. Especially when he found his, but 1 wanted one thing and God told him he'd have to earn it. 1 knew he still hasn't earned that yet. Samsara-2 asks them all. "So what was God like"? Anon just look at her then back to their food. 3 turns back to Samsara-2 "he was, he is. I don't know how to put him in words other than he's Pure, and nothing could ever be as Pure as he is". Anon gets up and then all of them nod to All-Father. "Good so you're ready". 1 just walks by. "As much as we'll ever be". Samsara starts to move with Anon but Anon stops them. "We are doing this one on our own". All-Father disagrees. "No, you will head off to Los Angeles and meet me there. I think this time we are going to need far more than just you". Anon just accepts this and step into a Pave Low. They see it's loaded with guns, ammo, and gear they might need. As the helicopter takes off Anon sees Samsara look on and then watches as the bay door closes.

Anon takes this time to think on a great many things, like how they might have to face another god, or if they see another Infinite how they'll likely die. Anon decides though to not dwell on that and just keep with the mission. After flying for 45 minutes they see a hologram appear in the helicopter. It's Light Bearer and she's whispering. "Listen I shouldn't be telling you this but, All-Father is sending you to Los Angeles while he sends Samsara and the Maz Hatters to get the items in Indonesia". 1 looks pissed as well as the rest of Anon, they know now that he doesn't trust them. But they decide this time, they're not listening to orders. This time they do what they want. Anon then thank Light Bearer, she simply smiles at 1 then brushes her hair. "Well, when you get back we can finally go on that date". As she leaves Anon all chant. "Aaahhhh, the boss is gonna get some". 2 goes over to the cockpit. "Hey is it ok if we close the door to get some sleep", one the pilots responds. "Yeah just remember we land in two hours". After 2 closes the door he clamps the lock shut, he then turns to the squad as 1 speaks up. "Alright, we are gonna hijack a plane that's headed to China". 3 laughs. "Yes finally doing what my ancestors would". 4 remarks. "That'll be interesting" even 2 likes the idea after all his father flew during WWII so why can't he. The squad all onboard wait for the next two hours biding their time.

As they land, they see it's El Segundo, CA; Los Angeles Air Force Base. As Anon gets off the helicopter 2 helps the pilots out of the chopper, one of the pilot's mentions. "We tried to use the door and it wouldn't open". 2 just gives an innocent look. "Man, that's crazy guess I don't know my strength, huh". As 2 helps them out Anon sees Samsara nearby along with the Maz Hatters. Samsara, the Maz Hatters, along with about close to 300 Foundation security walk onto an experimental plane. It looked like a mix of a Blackbird SR-21, and a Boeing 747. Anon tries their best to not get noticed by Samsara but is regardless. The two MTF's look at each other. Samsara starts to walk towards them as Anon tries to walk away. Samsara stops before them and asks. "Hey where were you guys, we've been waiting for hours". Anon looks confused 1 looks to Samsara-1. "What do you mean All-Father put us off this mission". Samsara now looks confused and call to All-Father. Anon gets ready for anything as All-Father approaches them. All-Father stands strong. "Well are you coming", 3 just stares at All-Father as 4 asks. "But Light Bearer told us you kicked us off the mission". All-Father laughs. "What, no I didn't unless one of the O5's did". All-Father then leaves to go call them as Samsara and Anon stand there and wait. As he returns he has a disturbed look on his face. "O5-2 just told me, that she told Light Bearer to direct you in the wrong direction. Apparently, the rest of the O5's found out and made her admit to her mistakes". 1 was heavily relieved as he had the thought of Light Bearer being a traitor running through his mind. But now he was assured she wasn't, but now he had an even worse thought running through his head; could O5-2 be a traitor. All-Father looks at both Anon and Samsara. "So Light Bearer isn't a traitor, but O5-2 will likely be punished, not too harshly I imagine but enough to make her think twice about doing something like this again".

As both teams move onto the plane 2 stops and asks All-Father. "Why would O5-2, do this". All-Father sighs. "Huh, likely because she blames me for her miscarriage". 3 hears that and moves with visible shock. "You didn't cause it right"? All-Father looks insulted. "What no, she and I. Well she and I were a thing once, and that's all I'm going to tell you". 2 then pushes 3 up the ramp and into the plane. As Anon all enter they see her Light Bearer. Beautiful as ever 1 thinks to himself. 1 smiles as she turns around and he sees her black hair. All-Father smiles seeing her ok and well. Light Bearer sees 1 and smiles, then sees All-Father and lowers her smile only a bit. All-Father walks past her and then takes his seat. As everyone straps in they all hear. "Alright ladies and gentlemen here we go in 3,2,1". 2 wonders why there counting down and then looks out the window to see massive thrusters on the sides of the engines. He can't believe he missed it. Everyone then feels a sudden burst of force as they're all pushed back into their chairs. 3 sees the plane just come off the ground within milliseconds. 4 rushes to find anything, then checks the back of the seat and pulls out a bag. He then proceeds to puke in it.

Samsara just casually sits in their chairs as the force of the plane moves them through the air, faster than even the fastest planes to date. 1 just sits there fine and well enjoying the sight of Light Bearer. He really hopes she meant it, that they'd go on that date after all this was over. The inside of the plane suddenly jerks forward pushing everyone into motion; then it evens out into a smooth motion. The intercom opens again. "We will be arriving at our destination within eight hours. So enjoy the view or just get up and walk about". 4 breathes a sigh of relief after he finishes puking. 3 just laughs, as 2 has ripped his seat open. All-Father gets up and gathers Samsara, Maz Hatters, and Anon. All the MTF's come down to the below the main floor into the storage area. As they all look on they see 4 Striker APCs, along with 8 Humvees, four had a .50 cal, and an M60 mounted on top, two had Mk19 Grenade Launchers, and the last two had TOW launchers on top. they then pass by multiple racks of weapons, racks of gear, and racks of explosives. 4 looks on happy to see those, but 3 seems far more interested, 3 even imagines how he could use them to break into a bank. 2 just looks and wonders if that'll be enough, after all, they're headed to where the Infinites were last at least to the public eye. 1 moves alongside All-Father as they enter into a room, blue with firearm walls painted tan. The room was big enough to hold all the MTF's inside, it could even probably hold another 12 guys.

1 everyone finds a chair and sits down. All-Father then shows them a small device that looks like a blue tooth. All-Father holds up a device then asks them all. "Do you know what this is"? Maz-2 responds. "A blue tooth". All-Father gestures to all of them with the device. "No, but it does go on your body. This is a new device Sigma 66 captured for us from a dead Hunter squad". Everyone except Anon, Light Bearer, and All-Father looks confused. 2 explains "Hunters are like the MTF's but for The Infinity Coalition, they have three different kinds of Hunters, the one he's likely talking about weren't actual Hunters". 4 chimes in. "Yeah they were likely Trappers, Trappers are good but nowhere near as good a Hunters". Samsara-3 was curious to know and looks to them. "So how do you know so much about them"? All-Father answers that. "Because they fought a Hunter once and then got their asses handed to them when his squad came". 1 mutters. "We were damn lucky he didn't want to kill us". Maz-4 looks to All-Father. "So avoid them, if we see them, got it". Light Bearer laughs. "No, if you see them, then they've seen you, and have been watching you for likely hours". Samsara-1 gets a bit of chill. "I shudder to think of how people could be that good". All-Father laughs this time. "People, they are not people. The Hunters are a bit like you Samsara, except they were made by what we believe to be The Infinites. They were made to be the ultimate defense and offense. They have all the powers Anon has multiplied by possibly a thousand". All-Father looks down. "They even have showcased powers not thought possible" he muttered this as he looks at the device. 1 adds "Anon use to be made up of close to 40 squads all with powers, not all of them had the same ones. But we weren't the strongest we were the second. In one hour a single Hunter killed all of them except us". 4 looks on in shame. "He told us. Get better, then come find me, and I'll kill you as a man". 4 looked pissed as 3 pouts. "We're men now so let's find him and kill him".
All-Father stops them from taking this any further, then turns his attention back to all the MTFs. "That's why we are here, the Trappers we found, they were dead and on them was this". All-Father holds up the device. "It can make Stem Cells and very advanced ones mixed with Nanotechnology. This device self replicates and can constantly heal anyone it attaches to. The only way for someone to die with this on is decapitation, massive internal damage to the point your organs are nothing but mush, but even your organs turning to mush may not kill you if they get it quick enough. The final way is just being blown into a mush, that you won't come back from". All-Father looks at the device with joy. "This…this is our fountain of youth. Something I'm not going to tell the O5 council about". All the MTFs look at him with suspicion, Samsara questions him. "And why would you not tell them"? All-Father can understand their suspicion and explains it. "The O5 council is hiding the fact that the fountain of youth is real, and they refuse to share it with anyone. If I showed them this they'd likely try to horde it all for themselves. And so I'm sharing it with you". All-Father throws each of them one of the devices, he then tells them to look. All the MTFs watch as he cuts off his hand. They all jump out of their seats. "Holy shit" one of the Maz Hatters yells. All-Father simply picks up his hand and puts it back in place. A blue glow shows and his hand is instantly healed. All-Father then cracks his hands and moves them both.

All the MTFs stare at him, Samsara-2 asks. "So where do we put them on"? All-Father simply tells them. "Anywhere on your body and they'll dig into your body, they then attach themselves to your heart". All the MTF's look at the device and Samsara is the first to put it on. Everyone stops to look and see what happens. At first, everything seems calm until it attaches itself to their hearts. All of the Samsara members start to convulse violently then lose control of their bowls. As All-Father smells hit he remembers "yeah forgot to say you pretty much have a heart attack, then a seizure, and finally you shit yourself". Samsara gains control of their bodies again and get up, seeing they've both pissed and shit themselves. Samsara-1 just looks at them all intensely. "We need to get going, see you on the battlefield". Anon all laugh at that, but then realize that will happen to them. Maz Hatters just sit there waiting for them to do it. "Fuck is this gonna suck". 1 then puts it on his neck and immediately feels it grow legs then crawl into him. The rest of Anon put them on and feel the same thing. 1 suddenly jumps out of his chair and then falls face-first onto the ground in agonizing pain. The rest of Anon soon follows suit. After it's all over Anon feel they've done it, and now they know they truly are old dogs. Because only old dogs would soil themselves. As Anon leaves to go change Maz Hatters put theirs on. As they walk past the gear on the racks they hear them drop.
After everything is said and done, all the MTF's move back to their seats and wait in silence. 1 dozes off and back out again. As 1 fully closes his eyes he sees the Infinites again. This time though the Infinites are far grander, somehow these ones are different and they are much stronger. The Infinites just stare at him as he starts to feel a great pain. Soon he looks down and sees, something filled with Darkness like it's Pure Darkness that wants to consume the Light. 1 tries to look at it but the Infinites keep his gaze at them. The Infinites begin to look at him even more and more eyes start to appear. The pain he feels no longer is a light pain, no, now it's angry somehow and feels as if it's turning him into something. The pain gets worse and worse until it stops. He closes his eyes only to hear Light Bearer. "Open your eyes it's ok". 1 feels relieved, he opens his eyes and what he sees is horrifying. The Infinites are dead ripped and broken upon the lies they tried to destroy, and a being made of shadows stands before them holding a flail glowing black. It stares at 1 far more harshly than the Infinites. The shadows begin to move and 1 sees it towers above the universe. 1 then hears Anderson. "This is not The End, you must remember".

1 wakes up to see he's still on the plane but everyone else is gone. 1 looks out the window and sees it, a Hunter, and this was a Hunter, surrounded by Trappers and thousands of Infinity soldiers. 1 takes a closer look and sees them all dead, Maz Hatters, Samsara, All=Father, Anon, and her, Light Bearer. 1 tries to run to her but the Hunter punches him to the ground. "You weren't there when she needed you most and now this is it". Anderson is heard again. "No, this is not The End either, where is it. Remember, I need you to remember". 1 tries to remember but it hurts to look at that, 1 tries his best to look away but Anderson shows up. Anderson first a man, then a robot, then a voice, finally an Infinite. The Infinite just glares at 1 and then a boom is heard. A voice that could shatter the universe, break upon worlds, and turn them to dust, run souls into the ground. This voice was familiar, it filled him with hope. "Welcome back 1, how have you been", God. God. "I know you are searching but you are not ready yet, but soon you will be". "How, how will I know", 1 pleads as he falls to his knees from the sheer power God's presence creates. "Defeat him, the Hunter then you shall know all you need". 1 looks back to the field where all his friends are dead. "No, I can't don't send me back". God just stares at him with eyes so pure you would die just by being seen.

1 wakes up to see the plane just landing. He knows what he has to face but he doesn't know if he can. But soon he won't have a choice.