Demoted to D-Class - SCP Foundation

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe Euclid I know my place

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be kept in a storage room in Site-22 and covered with any available opaque fabric when not undergoing testing.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a 101cm x 101cm vanity mirror made to be placed on a wall. Its anomalous properties manifest when an individual stares at their reflection for a period of time ranging from 34 minutes to 4 hours. The time required to trigger the anomalous properties is cumulative, therefore, it is not necessary to stare for the required amount of time in one sitting.

Upon activation, an individual's reflection within SCP-XXXX will stare back and remind you of all your past failures and make sure that you know your place.

Junior Researcher Chen was as greenhorn as greenhorn could get. He had stepped down the sterile white walls of Site-22, keycard clutched in hand, ready to meet the Foundation's demands, or so he had thought.

That's always what he had thought.

The reflection, hereby designated SCP-XXXX-1, will begin acting freely from the individual's movements. The early stages of an SCP-XXXX-1 activation event start off slowly and mildly. The reflection's early behaviors are typically non-violent. SCP-XXXX-1 instances are incapable of vocalizations at this stage, so early attempts at communication usually consist of sign language, even if the original person isn't capable of doing so.

At this point, you, yourself know sign language and you know that your reflection is criticizing you. They start off gentle and supportive, but don't listen to them. They're just luring down you into the rabbithole, a spiraling abyss where you never want to see your own face again.

Chen Niu had brewed two cups of coffee, one for himself, and one for his superior. He had hoped to impress, not trip and spill the drink all over her white work dress. Their faces both turned to beets, his of shame, and hers of teeth gritting rage.

Later stages of SCP-XXXX-1 infections will progress to vocalizations and slowly transition to being able to come out of the mirror. Once it started talking, I knew I was stuck with him. He made me know what I am.

That was not the first time Chen had made a fool of himself. However, his days as a bumbling civilian had ended months ago. His eyes dulled and darkened.

One day, the alarms tripped, and a glowing, floating, contorting mass drifted by, tore the furniture to fragments and ejected them in every direction. Slowly, a hand emerged from it before it spit it out completely; a dead MTF soldier flew out, Chen narrowly dodging the body and tipping a table over to cover himself from shrapnel. He then noticed a little metal rod attached to the soldier's belt.

Chen grabbed it, took a chance, pressed the little button on the side, and jammed it straight into the wooden floor. Three spikes ejected from the main body and latched themselves into the floor. A metal hatch opened on top and then nothing happened.

He saw that the floating mass was still slowly approaching him and he got up and backed away. The metal rod beeped once and then the anomalous entity froze in place, still sparkling, but un-moving. Chen had earned a medal that day, as well as a raise.

He had wiped the stain of buffoonery from his own name. Life was good.

SCP-XXXX-1 has taught me that success is a sham that occasionally mistakes me for someone else.

Confidence had returned to him full force. After the cleanup, he brewed two coffees again and marched happily to his superior, medal around his neck. He stopped just out of eyesight, but just within earshot…just close enough to hear several of his superiors talk about him.

"Even miserable little shits like him can do good sometimes."

"I don't care. I'm still getting rid of him. All we need is one more fuck-up."

"Agreed."

Gaze cast downwards, he slowly backed away, poured both coffees down the drain, and spent the rest of the day quietly obeying orders.

I tried so hard to stop having to look at myself, yet here I am, assigned to you of all things.

More greenhorns came to the Foundation. Chen was assigned to help train them. Before he knew it, they were already Senior Researchers while he was still stuck as a lowly assistant.

I hate looking at you. I hate you so god damn much. If I wasn't such a coward, I could get rid of you in half a second. You're slow. You make a fool of yourself everywhere you go. How the fuck did you even get in here? How the fuck did you let a couple of newbies overtake you in such a short amount of time?

You keep telling me not to compare myself to others, but that's just a comforting little lie that you're trying to drill into me as a coping mechanism. I'm not falling for it. I know my place.

Chen sat in the data logging room in the dark, the unforgiving glare of a white document staring back at him from the computer. From the covered mirror on the wall, he could hear SCP-XXXX-1 screaming at him.

He leaned forward and covered his ears and waited for it to stop. It usually did, but not this time. It was more insistent now. Chen put in ear plugs, put headphones on and turned the music to the highest volume.

Still, he heard the banging. He heard SCP-XXXX-1 banging against his prison within SCP-XXXX. Chen clamped the headphones down tightly over his ears, singing along loudly and trying to drown it out.

And still, he heard it. The computer entered sleep mode from lack of activity. His phone light barely illuminated his haggard face just enough to see it staring wide-eyed from the blank monitor. He bolted out of his seat, tore the headphones out, tore out his earplugs, sprinted to the mirror and tore the fabric off. SCP-XXXX-1 had tears streaming down his cheeks.

Chen punched the mirror. SCP-XXXX-1 begged him to stop.

"Just talk to me," he pleaded. He reached out and grabbed Chen's fist, stopping it. "Please…"

Chen roared, wrenched his hand free, and he punched it again. And again. And again, until it broke, kept punching until shards filled his knuckles and blood and shattered self sprinkled to the ground in little red fragments. He grabbed SCP-XXXX by the edges, tore it off the wall and threw it across the room.

Security guards rushed into the room when they heard the noise.

Addendum:

Junior Researcher Chen Niu has been demoted to D-Class.