Broken Wings and Mended Hearts - SCP Foundation

Her ears rang with the noise of the alarm, the red lights felt disorienting. The hallway felt narrow and cramped.

Agent Chloe Gaines ran with every bit of strength she had, but her legs felt like they would buckle under her.

She only had a pistol to defend herself, and it was running low on rounds. Her other arm was preoccupied carrying her unconscious friend on her shoulder, a friend who was proving a lot harder to carry than she anticipated.

But she had to keep going. For her. If they caught up with her, it would be all over. So she kept moving. She couldn't let them kill her.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" A voice called out. She paused, breathing heavily as she turned to see a familiar face. It was a woman with long blond hair, partly shaved on the side to make room for a small metal frame. She had a pistol in hand.

"Etzli," Gaines said. "You need to understand-"

"Understand what? You're kidnapping my sister!"

"I'm saving her!"

"The whole building's on lockdown. They're going to find you sooner or later. Just hand her over now."

"Etzli, please! They shut down the project, and they're purging all their subjects. If I hand her over they're going to kill her!"

Etzli paused. She lowered her pistol and released a stream of curse words. "You know they're going to want your head for this. The reward they'll offer will probably make Kestrov's bounty look like pocket change."

"I'm ready to take that chance."

Etzli reached for her earpiece. "I've got eyes on the target in the north stairwell. Target is a white male, around 6 feet tall, still wearing a lab coat. Possibly one of the researchers."

Etzli turned back to Gaines. She reached into her pocket and produced a keycard. "This will get you into the executive elevator. Take it to the parking garage, then find a vehicle and get out of here. I'll stall them as long as I can."

Gaines stared for a moment before she reached out and took the card.

Etzli turned and began running to the opposite end of the corridor. Gaines quickly made her way to the executive elevator and pushed the basement button.

The parking garage looked no different from any other- a concrete structure filled with cars of various makes and models. Most would never guess those cars belonged to employees from one of the most dangerous mercenary companies in the world.

Gains ran toward the nearest car. The window was open- perfect. She opened the door and dropped her friend into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt.

It took a few minutes to hotwire the car, but she got the engine starting. Then she just had to drive. In a few short minutes she pulled out of the garage and into the busy Toronto streets.

Her friend moaned slightly as she shifted her head, still unconscious.

"Don't worry, Necca," Gaines said. "You're safe now."

Gaines already had an idea of where to go. There was a Safehouse a few blocks away with a garage that could hide the car until it could be disposed of.

As they gained some distance from the Valravn headquarters, Gaines took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

"It's okay," she muttered, once she started to feel like she got some distance from the building. "I just broke the mission perameters, kidnapped a valkyrie, and stole a Valravn executive's car. Richter's going to LOVE this."

Gaines pulled the car to the side of the road. She reached for the radio at her side and adjusted the frequency.

"Athena, this is Artemis. Come in, over."

"Artemis, this is Athena, we read you loud and clear. Over."

"I've been compromised. Repeat. I've been compromised. I am on my way to Safe House Beta. I need a medivac and vehicle disposal team ready when I arrive. Over"

"Copy that, Artemis. We'll have it ready for you."

It felt like hours before the safehouse was finally in view. A helicopter was already waiting for them. As Gaines pulled up, two women in brightly-colored jumpsuits approached.

"AGENT GAINES!" One of them called out.

"Yeah, that's me!"

"Mobile Task Force Gamma-42," one of them replied. "I'm Chickadee, that's Bluebird. We're your extraction team."

"Oh good. You don't know how glad I am to see you."

"I was told you needed a medivac," Chickadee said.

Gaines quickly motioned to Necca. "I'm not sure if there's anything wrong, but she's been heavily sedated and her body's been… modified."

Chickadee immediately ran over to inspect Necca. Her first instinct was to check for a pulse.

Before the order could be given, the agent identified as "Bluebird" immediately wheeled the gurney towards her.

Chickadee said. "We're going to move the patient first," Chickadee said. "I need you to follow behind. Once we've secured the patient, we'll signal for you to come aboard. You got that?"

"Yes," Gaines replied. "If there's anything I can do to-"

"Don't worry," Bluebird said as she ran into position. "We're professionals. We just need to act fast"

The two of them carefully placed Necca onto the gurney.

It only took a few seconds to roll the gurney into the chopper. Then Bluebird signalled for Gaines to approach. She ran inside, just in time for the door to be shut behind her.

The noise of the rotors was deafening. Gaines could barely hear anything as Chickadee gave an almost inaudible order to the pilot, who started taking them up. Bluebird then handed Gaines a pair of headphones.

With the headset on, the noise seemed to calm down, and she could actually hear what they were saying.

"Patient seems stable," Bluebird said. "But I need anything you can tell me about her condition."

Gaines paused to collect her thoughts.

"I know she's been heavily sedated. Her body's been… modified."

"Modified ho-" Chickadee cut herself off as she looked at the patient. "Oh my-"

"I need to make sure there aren't any complications."

"We can manage that. Don't worry, you're in good hands."

"Where are we going?"

"Site-42. It's a medical facility specifically built for these kinds of emergencies."

"There's nothing else you can do right now," Bluebird said. "You might want to take some time to relax."

Gaines took a deep breath and sat back. She was clearly tired, even if she didn't want to show it.

"What kind of Codename is 'Chickadee?'" Gaines muttered.

"We're the songbirds," Bluebird said. "We all have bird-themed codenames."

"Although there is an actual Chickadee at Site-42," Chickadee said with a smile. "You'll like her."

As she laid back, finally able to relax, Gaines suddenly felt overwhelmed by exhaustion. Her eyelids grew heavy, and the world around her seemed to fade.

Gaines started to roll over as she woke. That was when she noticed she was lying down. Last thing she could remember was sitting in the cramped helicopter. As her eyes opened, she tried to get a bearing of where she was. She seemed to be lying in a bed, in a small room. It seemed to take a lot of strength just to lift her head. Her shoulders ached. She could barely feel her legs.

She heard a strange chirping noise. She forced her head to the side to see something she would not have expected- a chickadee. Not Agent Chickadee, but an actual chickadee standing on the bedside table. It seemed to be staring at her. Something about its song seemed comforting. The pain seemed to lessen. She was able to pull herself up. The bird responded with an enthusiastic series of chirps that almost sounded like cheering.

Gaines could not help smiling. She reached out and gently stroked one finger along the bird's head. It let out a very excited chirp. Suddenly she was feeling a lot more relaxed.

Then the bird took off. It flew right out of the room. Gaines stared at the door, not sure what was happening. A moment later, a woman in a labcoat appeared, with the bird on her shoulder.

"You're awake? Finally, you've been out for hours."

"Where am I?" Gaines asked.

"Site-42. Sorry, when we found you in the helicopter we decided to make sure you didn't need any help. We put you in the wards just in case there were any problems."

"Like what?"

"You put a lot of strain on your shoulder, for one thing-" the doctor continued. "It's going to hurt but we don't need to keep you in bed."

Gaines pulled the sheet aside. She tried to stand. Her legs wobbled for a moment as she tried to get her footing.

As soon as she was standing with some stability, the bird issued an excited chirp.

"I see you've met 7044," the doctor remarked. "I'm Dr. Tesario. You must be Agent Chloe Gaines. Director Richter's on her way to speak with you. Right now I suggest you-"

"Where's Necca?"

"Necca?" Tesario asked. "Is that the woman you brought in?"

"Yes, how is she?"

"She's alive. We didn't need to operate. But there may be other complications."

"In what way,"

"The patient- sorry, Necca, her body had been… modified. I've never seen anything like it. Would you like to see her?"

"Yes," Gaines said.

"Come with me,"

Tesario led Gaines into a busy corridor occupied by a variety of personel.

"Site-42 is not your standard containment facility," Tesario explained. "I'm sure you've heard plenty of stories about Site-19."

"Too many."

"Working at the Foundation comes with an inherent risk to physical and mental health. That's where we come in. Site-42 is a hospital. Don't worry, you won't encounter anything here. Only Safe-Class anomalies are permitted on site, and only the ones found not to be dangerous are allowed to stay permanently, like 7044."

The bird chirped in response to its number being stated.

Tesario stopped in front of a closed door. She opened it and allowed Gaines to enter.

Necca lay in front of her, covered from the neck down by a blanket.

"I'm not sure what she was sedated with, but it's strong stuff. Right now all we can do is wait for it to wear off."

"Will she be okay when she does?"

"Necca hasn't shown any signs of adverse reaction to her… modifications, but they could cause other problems."

"Like what?"

"Her right arm was severed at the shoulder, replaced with a-"

"I know," Gaines said. "I repaired that several times. I can fix it."

"There was an issue with her legs," Tesario continued. "We found what seems to be a partially constructed chassis. It was only completed on the leg. The problem is it's not just fitted to her body. It's grafted into her skin. We can't remove it."

Gaines sighed. "Must have been intended to produce a stronger exoskeleton," she muttered.

"Maybe," Tesario replied. "But it wasn't finished. It'll add a significant weight imbalance. She's going to need physical therapy, but she will probably require a wheelchair."

"Can I stay with her?"

"Of course," Tesario replied. "You can use the call button if there's a problem."

Gaines took a seat next to Necca's bed. Tesario stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

"You're going to be alright," she muttered.

She was not sure how long it was before she heard a knocking at the door. Gaines looked up to see Tesario opening it. Accompanying her was a professional-looking woman.

"Director Richter?" Gaines asked, slightly surprised to see her boss. She stood up. Her next few words stammered out. "I'm sorry, I meant to call and I know this wasn't part of the missi-"

"That's enough," Richter said, firmly. She looked at the patient. "This is her? The Valkyrie you rescued?"

"Yes."

"I see. Dr. Tesario, I want to know as soon as she wakes up. And you, Gaines, I need to speak to you in private. Is there somewhere we can do that?"

"The boardroom should work," Dr. Tesario replied.

"Good," Richter said. "Gaines, boardroom, now!"

Gaines nervously began to follow Richter out of the room. Before stepping through the door, she glanced back at Necca.

"Don't worry," Tesario said. "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

Gaines reluctantly turned back to Richter.

Richter stepped into the boardroom, taking a seat in one of the swivel chairs. She motioned for Gaines to sit on the opposite side.

Gaines took a deep breath as she approached, trying to brace herself for the inevitable chewing out. She knew this was coming, but she really did not want to deal with it- especially right now when she was still aching.

"Agent Gaines, your orders were to keep me updated on Valravn activity. You weren't supposed to intervene."

"But-"

"Do you realize how much trouble your actions have gotten you into? Do you know how much Valravn is offering for you?"

Gaines remained silent.

"Not only did you compromise your identity, you put my other agents at risk and blew open a top-secret operation. Do you know how much Valravn is offering for your capture?"

"What was I supposed to do? They were going to kill her!"

"You shouldn't have gotten involved. We needed that intel. Instead you chose to rescue a Valkyrie, of all people. Why?"

Gaines sat back and sighed. "They're not what you think they are. You know them as heartless killers but that's not what I saw. What I saw were sisters. The thing they valued was loyalty, not to Valravn, not to some paycheck, but to each other. And they were nothing but kind to me."

"Gaines, you know I have a former Valkyrie in my staff, I know they can do good. But you took a big risk. Why? Why help her of all peo-"

"Because she was always there for me. The Eagle Warriors treated me like one of their own, but Necca especially. She was… something else. There was a connection like I never felt before."

Richter was stunned. "Agent Gaines, as of now you are suspended from undercover duty while I clean up the mess you made. You're dismissed."

Gaines stood and made her way to the door.

Gaines quickly made her way back to Necca's room, where Tesario was already waiting. 7044 was perched on the bedside table, watching Necca.

"How'd it go?" Tesario asked.

"I thought Richter was going to hang me."

"Is she usually that harsh?"

"She can be. But she has her moments."

"Well, so far the patient's status has not changed. All vital signs are stable, at least. Not much else I can do but keep observing-"

7044 suddenly began chirping and flapping erratically. Tesario turned toward the little bird.

"What is it?"

7044 kept moving her head toward Necca, as if trying to direct towards her.

Gaines ran over and quickly noticed what was happening.

Necca's eyelids were fluttering.

"YES!" Gaines shouted. She could not help smiling. "Doctor, she's waking up!"

It looked like it must have taken considerable strength just to open her eyes.

"Necca, it's me- Zyanya."

Necca stared at her, visibly disoriented. Her eyes darted around the room.

"You're okay." Tesario said. "You've been brought to-"

Before she could say any more, Necca suddenly tried to force herselve out of bed. It might have been a lot more dramatic had she been able to factor in her condition. Almost immediately, she collapsed onto the floor, taking the blanket with her.

Her metal prosthetic arm seemed unable to function, and for the first time Gaines had a chance to seriously examine the chassis over her body. A series of metal rings covered her leg, but they went all the way to the hip, and partly down the other leg's upper thigh.

Tangled in a mess of blankets, Necca desperately tried to pull herself up. Only right leg and left arm were moving. She tried to pull herself forward on the floor.

"NECCA!" Gaines yelled out. "Necca, stop!"

Her arm finally gave out. Necca seemed to exhaust herself. Slowly her head fell forward and her eyes closed.

Tesario immediately ran over to check for a pulse.

"Looks like she's okay," Tesario said. "I guess she's just confused. It probably exhausted her."

"She's waking up in an unfamiliar environment belonging to someone she's used to thinking as the enemy," Gaines said. "I can see why she would panic."

"Help me get her back into bed," Tesario replied.

Gaines nodded, and did her best to untangle the bedsheets, while Tesario gently rolled her over. In a few seconds, they had Necca back on the bed. Gaines carefully tucked the sheets over her, and made sure to slide a pillow under her head.

"What happens next?" Gaines asked.

"The sedative appears to have worn off," Tesario replied. "But she's going to be tired. It'll take time for her to get her strength back."

Tesario turned back toward Gaines. "When was the last time you ate anything?"

Gaines looked at Tesario with confusion. "I'd prefer to stay here if I can."

"You're not going to be any help on an empty stomach. Come on, let's get some food."

Gaines nodded.

Tesario managed to find an empty table in the cafeteria, where she could sit with Gaines.

"Trust me," Tesario said. "You'll feel better after eating something."

Gaines reluctantly took a seat and began picking at her food.

"I do need to ask," Tesario said. "Who exactly is your friend?

"What do you mean?"

"Necca?" Tesario asked. "Unusual name."

"Short for 'Nechahual'," Gaines clarified.

"Those… augmentations, I haven't seen anything like them. Who did that?"

Gaines paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before she spoke. "Have you heard of a company called Valravn?"

"The name sounds familiar, but I can't remember anything. They're like a mercenary company, aren't they?"

"They're more than that," Gaines said. "It's like a cult. Their specialty is weaponizing anomalies to produce more… efficient results. They have a history of augmenting their soldiers to make more effective killing machines."

"Like modifying their bodies?"

"Often in ways that go beyond what you'd see in the Foundation," Gaines said. "And in some less-than-ethical ways. Did you ever read about SCP-191?"

Tesario's eyes widened. "The Cyborg Child?" She asked. She winced at the memory of that file.

"That was Valravn. 191 was a test subject designed to produce an army of augmented women called 'Valkyries.'"

"Why only women?"

"It's a whole thing," Gaines explained. "Remember how I said it's like a cult? They like to base everything on old mythologies, especially norse. They're supposed to be the Valkyries of myth. Of course, they're willing to jump on any mythology they think is useful. My unit was part of the Aztec division."

"Necca, she's one of these 'Valkyries?'"

"Yes. She was a newer recruit. Most of her file was redacted, but I know she was in Fuerzas Especiales, Mexican Special Forces. From what I understand there was a major cartel boss called "Sin Nombre" who's been involved in some strange dealings. The authorities attempted a raid and it turned into a slaughter. A lot of soldiers died. Necca was heavily disfigured by an explosion but survived."

"I wouldn't have guessed that," Tesario replied.

"Valravn has some pretty advanced methods of reconstructive surgery. They just don't like to share it with outsiders. It's how they get a lot of their Valkyries. They find women with military experience who have been severely injured and offer them a 'second chance,' if you can call it that. Then they start putting in augmentations and conditioning them to serve Valravn."

"What can you tell me about Necca?

"She'd only been there a year when I arrived, they hadn't fully indoctrinated her yet. I mostly did work on her cybernetics. She was so excited, so keen to prove herself, only she was also growing more desperate."

"Desperate how?"

"The Eagle Warriors accepted her with open arms as a "sister" but others at Valravn didn't seem to notice. There were other Valkyrie units that would pick on her, executives who ignored her. All she wanted was their approval. That was why she volunteered for Project Berserker."

"Is that what caused-"

"Yes. It was supposed to be about creating highly durable soldiers that could be sent into a frenzy. Unfortunately the results weren't looking too promising. They couldn't get the desired effect, the High Table decided it was costing too much and decided to cut the project."

"I know Richter's not happy with your actions," Tesario said. "But in my line of work, empathy gets you a long way. You shouldn't feel shame for wanting to save someone. But I think it would be good to have you present when she wakes up. A familiar face will certainly help."

Necca's eyelids fluttered.

"Doctor, she's waking up!"

Tesario ran over to the patient. Gaines stood across the bed from her. They watched as her head slowly shifted.

"Necca? Necca it's me?"

She started to open her eyes.

"You're okay."

"Where am I?" Necca muttered. "Is this… Valhalla?"

"No, you're still alive" Gaines said.

"What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Tesario asked.

"I was in the lab. They injected me with something. Told me it would numb the pain."

Gaines took a moment to think about her next response.

"There were… complications. The augmentations didn't go as planned"

"What do you mean?"

"We just need you to focus on getting better," Tesario explained. "You're going to need a lot of food and a lot of bed rest."

Necca groaned as she lay back.

"I'll see if I can get some painkillers as well."

Dr. Tesario made her way to the door.

"Zyanya, tell me the truth. Where am I? This isn't a Valravn facility, it it?"

Gaines paused. She had really been hoping to wait a day or two before this conversation.

"Project Berserker was shut down. The High Table ordered all test subjects purged."

"What? Why?"

"The short version? They weren't getting the results they wanted, and didn't want to keep paying for it."

"Why would they… I was nothing but loyal to them… I volunteered for the project!"

"Because you were a loose end," Gaines said. "I couldn't let them take you, so I brought you to the one place I knew you'd be safe."

"You didn't bring me to- no… please tell me…"

"My real name is Chloe Gaines. I was an undercover Foundation agent. When they tried to terminate you, the only safe place I knew of was the Foundation."

Necca sighed as she laid her head back. "How bad is it?"

"They didn't finish the upgrades before the order came in. The doctor says she can't reverse it."

Necca groaned as she lay back, and her eyes started to close. Gaines stood and made her way to the door.

The next time Gaines entered Necca's room, she found her awake. An overbed table had already been brought in with a tray containing a bowl of oatmeal. Though she was obviously confused, she was eating it with her left arm. Her right was noticeably inert. The upside was that she had actually managed to sit up, probably with Tesario's help.

She also found Richter there, sitting in a chair next to the bed. She appeared to be talking to her.

Gaines slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

"The Set of Nine? That was Vermejo. You'd have to talk to Göndul about that. All I know is it's some set of books that the High Table seems interested in."

"I see," Richter said. She turned toward Gaines.

"How are you doing?" Gaines asked, making eye contact with Necca.

"She's fine," Richter said as she stood. "It seems you may have brought a half-decent asset to us after all."

She stepped out of the room. Gaines approached Necca and sat down next to her.

"I don't get it," Necca muttered. "I was doing so much for them. Olga promised-"

"Olga Brandt doesn't tend to keep her promises," Gaines said. "I know she promised you a chance to get back at Sin Nombre. She didn't tell you they had a truce."

"What?"

"They've been using us. They came to you at your weakest, when you couldn't say no, and pretended it was a choice."

"What about Etzli?" Necca asked. "She was always so kind to me. She called me her sister. Was she-"

Gaines smiled. "No, Etzli was one of the few good people I met in there. I saw a lot of greed and corruption from the High Table, but in the Eagle Warriors I saw a family. I saw women who were ready to fight for each other. Etzli was a good commander. She actually helped me escape."

Necca smiled. "What happened to her?"

"She stayed behind to distract Valravn's security. I'm sure she's fine. Why don't I look at that arm."

Gaines immediately began inspecting Necca's mechanical arm, looking for a panel she could investigate.

"They must have disabled it when they were putting in the modfications. Probably trying to prevent any involuntary-"

Suddenly the arm swung up and just barely missed punching Gaines in the face.

"Like that. I guess I deserved that."

Necca looked at her arm, which was suddenly functional again. She obviously felt some relief to be able to use it.

There was a knock at the door. Gaines turned to see Tesario push a wheelchair.

"We're finally able to get you out of bed," Tesario said with a smile. She moved the wheelchair next to the side of Necca's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like my leg's been put in concrete."

Tesario gently moved the blankets, making the metal casing much more visible.

"Unfortunately that's going to create a weight imbalance. I've arranged for physical therapy, but you're going to need a wheelchair to move around."

Necca groaned. "Seriously?"

"Think of it as a battle scar," Gaines said.

Tesario gently began to pick Necca up and transfer her to the wheelchair. It took a moment for her to adjust. She tried to reach for the wheels, only to find they weren't moving.

"Oh," Tesario said with a slight chuckle. She lifted the break."You're currently allowed access to all of Site-42's recreational spaces, but there are some conditions."

"Such as?"

"You'll be fitted with a heart monitor, and you'll also have weekly counseling sessions with Dr. Christina Pikerton."

"So let you see my heart and visit the shrink? Got it."

"For now, let me show you around. What do you like to do for fun?"

Necca stared at Tesario, unsure how to respond.

"It's okay, we'll figure something out. Gaines, why don't you come with us."

Necca struggled for a moment to push her wheelchair. Tesario took it by the handles. "This might take some getting used to," she said. She began to push Necca out of the room. Gaines followed.

"Site-42 is not your standard Foundation Site," Tesario explained. "We're the place they send everyone who gets hurt or traumatized by encounters with anomalies, but we only have a few on the premises- and it's mostly just the ones that can actually be used for medicine. We have a lot of activities here."

She opened a door and led them into a large open space, which had several people engaging in various activities.

A familiar chirp came from nearby. Necca quickly noticed 7044 at the side of the table, somehow engaged in a game of Risk with three patients, and apparently somehow winning. AT least until she noticed Necca coming in. Immediately the bird flew over and perched on one of the wheelchair's armrest.

"You gain?" Necca asked, a faint smile on her lips. She reached out and gently stroked 7044 with one finger.

7044 delivered a very enthusiastic chirp before flying back over to the table to get back to the game.

Necca looked around, initially confused and slightly overwhelmed by the options, but her attention was drawn to a couch in front of a TV, where two patients were engaging in a Call of Duty match.

"Are you a gamer?" Tesario asked.

Necca smiled. "We did a lot of VR training as Valkyries, and we spent a lot of our free time playing video games."

"That seems like a good place to start.

Tesario wheeled Necca over to the couch.

"Excuse me," Tesario said. One of the patients looked up.

"This is Necca. She's a new patient looking for something to do. You think she could play with you?"

"I don't see why not. Just let us finish this match first."

Gaines smiled.

While Necca's attention was turned away, Tesario looked at Gaines. "I need your help with something," she said.

As they started to walk away, they could faintly hear Necca giving tips to the other patients, until that was drowned out by a triumphant chirp from 7044. Gaines looked over to see the bird had successfully defeated the other players and conquered the world, and was now doing a victory dance.

Gaines wiped sweat off her brow as stepped back to admire her work.

"I think that looks pretty good," Tesario said. "You think Necca will like it?"

"I think so," Gaines replied.

"Maybe you should go get her."

"Where would I find her?"

Tesario reached into her pocket and produced a small tablet-like device.

"There's a tracker in her heart monitor."

Tesario turned it on, then took a moment to look for the signal. "Looks like she's in the cafeteria."

Gaines smiled as she turned and started walking in that direction.

She found Necca sitting over a tray of beans, and talking to other patients. Though Necca looked a bit tired, she seemed to be enjoying herself.

As she got closer, Gaines could hear some of the conversation.

"I used to hear stories about Site-19. Is it true you have an indestructable lizard?"

"We used to," The patient replied. "Funny story, actually. It started with a bannana-"

Gaines had to cut it off there as she put a hand on Necca's shoulder.

"Oh, Gaines!"

"How are you feeling?"

"My arm is killing me," Necca said.

"Tesario wants to see you. Here let me help."

Gaines took the handles of the wheelchair and began to move Necca out of the cafeteria. They approached Tesario.

"Necca, how was your first full day at Site-42?"

"The people seem nice."

"Well, we have something to show you," Tesario continued as she opened a door. Gaines wheeled her inside.

The room was small but cozy. A comfortable bed had been set up, along with a parking spot for her wheelchair and a television connected to an Xbox, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

"We had to work with what was available," Tesario said. "Even in the Foundation we can't get a PS5."

Necca smiled. "It's perfect," she muttered, before letting out a yawn. "But I think I'm feeling pretty tired."

"That's okay," Tesario said. She carefully helped Necca out of her wheelchair and into the bed. Gaines carefully placed a blanket over her.

"Thank you," Necca muttered, already half-asleep.

Gaines smiled. She very softly kissed Necca on the cheek, before standing up.

"We should give her some space,"

Tesario followed Gaines outside.

"She's doing really well," Tesario remarked. "First day out of bed and she's already making friends."

"Do you think she will be able to walk again?" Gaines asked.

"I'm not sure. The physical therapy will help but with that metal frame grafted into her skin, it's going to be hard."

"I see,"

"I heard Richter's leaving tomorrow. Are you going with her?"

"No," Gaines muttered. "I don't think she wants anything to do with me right now. I might have to stay here a little longer. Besides, Necca's going to need me."

"I'm sure we can find something for you to do around here," Tesario replied.

"I'm good with cybernetics. That might help if you get any more Valravn test subjects."

"That would be a useful skill, wouldn't it? I'll talk to the Site Director, see if I can get you a transfe-"

There was suddenly an echoing voice over the intercom.

"Agent Gaines please proceed to Emergency Containment Wing. Repeat, Agent Gaines requested as Emergency Containment Wing."

"Containment wing?" Gaines asked.

"It's mostly a precaution, we almost never use it. I'm not sure why they'd want you there."

"Which way is it?"

"I'll show you,"

The "Containment Wing" of Site-42 certainly seemed smaller than other facilities, and mostly consisted of empty rooms, maybe just enough that a Safe-Class anomaly could be held in an emergency.

"There you are Gaines," a familiar voice called out. She quickly noticed Richter.

"What's going on?"

"We have a situation."

Tesario and Gaines quickly followed. Richter led them to an isolation chamber. Inside was a group of women, all of whom were dressed in the torn remains of Valravn uniforms and showed signs of cybernetic augmentations.

"I need to know if you recognize them?" Richter said.

Gaines' jaw dropped as she scanned the unit in front of her.

"Yes, YES! I know them! They're the Eagle Warriors. That's Necca's unit!"

"They showed up an hour ago," Richter said. "They were surrendering themselves into Foundation Custody."

Gaines immediately approached the intercom and pushed the button.

"Hello,"

The woman she recognized as Etzli stood and approached the button.

"Zyanya? You made it?"

Gaines smiled. "Yes. Don't worry, Necca's safe."

"Can I see her,"

"She's asleep right now, but we can set something up. What are you doing here?"

"After you left Valravn started offering big rewards for Necca's recovery. We couldn't believe the lies they were telling us. They started saying calling her a traitor. Olga Brandt went as far as to ask me to kill her to prove my loyalty. I knew I couldn't do it. When the other members of my unit found out, they left with me."

"That must have caused quite the disruption for Valravn."

"An entire Valkyrie unit disappearing. It wasn't easy, and of course the Jaguar Warriors didn't care about what happened to one of ours."

"Jaguar Warriors?" Tesario asked.

Gaines took her hand of the intercom.

"The Aztec branch had a division called the cuāuhocēlōtl," Gaines explained. "And it was further divided into the Eagle and Jaguar Warrior units. The High table liked to play us against each other, and it turned out cats and birds don't play well together."

"Do you trust them enough to let them see Necca?" Tesario asked.

"I do, but I'm guessing Richter doesn't."

She turned toward Richter.

"What's going to happen to them?"

"As soon as my flight's ready," Richter said. "I'll be taking them to Site-78 under guard. They'll be detained there while we run a background check and make sure this isn't some kind of trap. And if everything goes well, we'll take the appropriate precautions and let them choose where they want to go."

"Could we arrange a video call?" Gaines asked. I understand not wanting an in-person meeting yet but she has the right to confirmation that her friend is alive."

Richter sighed. "I think I can manage that. I can set it up when we're back at Site-78. I'll speak to the Site Director about it."

Etzli pushed the button again. "You there? Doctor?"

Tesario turned in surprise. She pointed to herself as if to say "me?"

"Yes you."

Tesario approached.

"Are you the doctor looking after Necca?"

Tesario pushed the button on her side. "Yes, I am."

"Take good care of her."

"I will."

"Good," Etzli said. "If I find out you're mistreating her in any way, I'll kill you."

Tesario produced an awkward smile, not sure if she should be touched by Etzli's dedication or intimidated by her threat.

The following morning, Gaines made her way to Necca's room, laptop under her arm. She found her already awake and eating another bowl of oatmeal under Tesario's supervision.

"How are you feeling?" Gaines asked.

"Better, I guess," Necca replied.

Gaines smiled. "I have something for you, if I may."

Tesario stepped aside and made a gesture that seemed to say "go ahead."

Gaines approached Necca and placed the laptop on her lap. She opened it to reveal a live chat window, on the other side of which was a familiar face.

"Etzli?" Necca asked.

"You missed some excitement last night," Gaines said.

"Necca?" Etzli shouted excitedly. She could see a few other familiar faces huddling around her former commanding officer.

"Etzli, what's going on? Doesn't Valravn want to kill me?"

"Well," Etzli muttered. "The thing is… we don't work for Valravn anymore."

"What?"

"It's a long story. The short version is Richter brought us to Site-78. I can't blame her for being reluctant to let us meet in person, but she was nice enough to give us a video call."

"How's that working for you?"

"Actually pretty good. You know you're not the first Valkyrie to end up with the Foundation."

"Really?"

"No. There's one here, one of the Greek division named Thelastris. She was very excited by our arrival. How are you doing?"

"About as well as I can be," Necca said. "But I'm not much of a fighter now. I can't even walk. I'm not really fit to be a-"

"Necca, you'll always be one of us," Etzli said. She briefly looked away from the screen, apparently addressing someone before she turned back.

"Looks like our allotted time's up," Etzli said. "I'll talk to you as soon as I can."

The screen went dark. Gaines picked up the laptop.

"Etzli left Valravn… for me?"

"Some bonds just can't be broken," Tesario said. "Now, I think it's time for your first physical therapy session."

Gaines was about to step out the door when she heard Necca call out "Maya."

Gaines turned in surprise.

"My name, before I joined the Valkyries. It was Maya."

Gaines smiled. "Nice to meet you Maya."

"Um… Gaines,"

"Call me Chloe."

Necca let out a slight chuckle. "Chloe. I know I'm stuck here but… you want to get coffee or something?"

"I'd like that very much."

Gaines ran over to Necca and kissed her right on the lips, before she stepped out of the room.