Marvel: The Foundation

The Foundation wasn't slow to act, and due to SITEs being all around the world it also didn't take long before a team was on site and the vending machine was lifted into a van and driven off.

he next morning, Yuki, Hiro, and Mika returned to the alleyway, hoping to continue their strange adventure. Instead, they were met with an empty space where the vending machine used to stand. Hiro's face fell in disbelief.

"No... it can't be," he muttered, rushing forward, as if expecting to find some clue as to where it had gone. He stared at the vacant spot, hands clenched at his sides. "Who took it?"

Mika exchanged a worried glance with Yuki. "They must've figured it out—someone must have noticed what we were doing. Maybe the stuff we sold was too valuable."

Yuki sighed, her heart sinking. "I told you it was dangerous. We didn't know what we were dealing with. It was just a matter of time before something like this happened." Her voice was filled with a mix of frustration and sadness.

Hiro shook his head, his expression torn between anger and disappointment. "We were so close. You know how much we could've done with all the stuff from it? We could've helped so many people and still made enough to change everything for ourselves."

Mika placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice softening. "Maybe it was for the best, Hiro. We knew it was strange, but we kept pushing it. At least we got to help people while we could."

Yuki nodded, her gaze lingering on the empty space. "We did some good, but maybe it was never supposed to last. We were messing with something we didn't understand."

Hiro let out a frustrated sigh, kicking at a small stone on the ground. "I guess you're right, but it still sucks. I wanted to know what else we could've gotten out of it."

Yuki managed a small smile. "Some mysteries are better left unsolved, Hiro. We were lucky nothing bad happened to us. We should be grateful for that."

Mika nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Whoever took it probably knows what they're doing. Maybe they were meant to take care of it."

With a mix of emotions—relief, regret, and a sense of finality—the three friends turned away from the alley, the adventure that had so briefly captivated them now just a memory. They walked away, each processing the loss in their own way.

It had been a few days since the vending machine had disappeared, and life was slowly returning to normal for Yuki, Hiro, and Mika. The initial shock of losing it had dulled, replaced by the realization that they had been lucky to have come across it at all. They had experienced something truly unique, and despite the disappointment, they knew it was time to move forward.

Agent Takahashi, meanwhile, had completed her mission. She had observed the kids long enough to conclude they were merely bystanders in something far beyond their comprehension. They had gotten lucky, and the vending machine, now designated SCP-261, was safely contained within the Foundation's care. It was filed as an anomalous object capable of dispensing unusual items with no discernible pattern.

The decision to keep it under containment was straightforward—despite its seemingly harmless effects, the unpredictable nature of SCP-261 posed enough risk that it couldn't be left in public hands.

The vending machine was secured in a containment facility, where it would undergo a thorough examination to understand the full extent of its capabilities. The Foundation scientists were fascinated by its properties—an item capable of dispensing random objects, some valuable, some bizarre. The nature of its anomaly was yet to be fully understood, but they were determined to explore every aspect of it.

Agent Takahashi reviewed her final report on SCP-261 before submitting it. The kids had walked away without harm, and the containment of the vending machine had proceeded smoothly. She noted that no further actions were needed concerning the trio, and she concluded her assessment with a hint of satisfaction. Not every case ended so cleanly, and she was grateful for that.

As she closed her laptop, Takahashi allowed herself a small smile. It wasn't every day that someone could stumble across an anomaly and emerge relatively unscathed. These kids had managed to navigate a dangerous situation without even realizing just how lucky they had been.

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Back in New York, Alexander wouldn't even have noticed the new SCP being contained if not for another pointless message from his equally pointless system. He had long since seen through it, and it no longer held much power over him.

Though it still held some importance, after all, it was all that was stopping all SCP objects from materializing all at once, giving the Foundation time to deal with them one at a time.

If not for that, the world would not remain as calm as it is today, with normal people still living normal lives and not knowing about the things happening in the shadows.

Though some people likely weren't fans of all the secrecy, people who wished to know what was happening, people like Tony Stark.

Tony had spent billions on a talking snail that seemed to think it was a human, a funny thing, an impossible thing. He had wanted to research it, and the data was amazing, truly impossible to understand.

Nothing seemed to make sense, the snail completely ignored all laws of science and just… existed despite it should have been all but impossible.

It was fascinating, and he couldn't wait to unravel the mysteries that were Lord Blackwood. Yet suddenly, he was short a snail!

"Jarvis! Explain how someone was able to get past all the new security measures and steal from me… again!?"

"Sir, I'm currently running a detailed analysis of the security breach," Jarvis's voice responded, calm as always despite Tony's frustration. "It appears that the intruder left no discernible traces—no broken locks, no surveillance disruptions. They may have had intimate knowledge of your new systems."

Tony would have to be stupid if he couldn't guess who was behind this. There was only one group that could have done something like this, and that was the Bulwark.

He still didn't know much about them, even Jarvis could barely find anything about them online, if it wasn't because SHIELD was working with them, he would have known next to nothing.

Yet knowing who was behind it didn't make it any easier to accept. Time and time again, they had broken into his home, either robbed him or threatened him. Each time, he would upgrade his security, and still, it was all for nothing.

"Jarvis, how are the analysis protocols going?" Tony asked, taking a moment to glance at the holographic blueprints of his security network.

"Still processing, sir. I have detected no anomalies in the security feeds, nor any data indicating a breach from any known methods. It seems the removal of Lord Blackwood was executed with precision beyond our current understanding."

"Beyond our understanding?" Tony muttered, leaning back against his workbench. That wasn't something he heard every day. "It's like magic, isn't it, Jarvis? A bunch of sneaky people who somehow get past cutting-edge technology. I don't like it."

"No, sir. It does indeed seem to fall outside the realms of normal technological means," Jarvis replied.

Tony paused for a moment, the wheels in his mind turning. There had to be a way to get ahead of them. Whatever this Foundation was, they clearly had the upper hand when it came to dealing with these anomalous items. But Tony Stark was not a man to be left in the dark—if they could take from him, then he would find a way to take it back.

"Jarvis, begin compiling everything we have on the Bulwark—everything. Known operations, suspected sites, names, aliases, anything SHIELD has on them. It's time I stop playing defense."

"Understood, sir. Initiating the data retrieval process."

Tony let out a slow breath. He was tired of being two steps behind. He'd find these people, get answers, and put an end to them sneaking around his technology and making him look like a fool. He'd already invested heavily in new suits and new protocols, and if this was a war they wanted, then they'd get it.

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Tony wasn't the only person cursing at the Foundation, even if they didn't know about it. Another person who felt that hate was Justin Hammer, though he was a far cry from his normal over-the-top self.

After having gotten his hands on the mysterious book, A Hero is Born. He had been using it almost without pause. Over the past week, he had spent more time living other lives in his dreams than he had living in the real world.

And it really was taking its toll.

He was starting to crave it; the multiple full lives he had been living in fantasy worlds were becoming too much for him. He was fully addicted to living as a hero.

And now, the book that allowed that was gone, missing, stolen!