Dr. Buck was in front of her boss, Director Jones, who is listening to the audio recording of her conversation of why Gradient acted the way that he did, and who this, Infected, person is. And needless to say, he seems to be very interested in this, but he is also a little worried at what he is hearing, as after the recording has ended, Dr. Buck than looks at Director Jones, as she than spoke out to Director Jones.

"Well, Director Jones, did we gain some answers from SCP-7131-1, which we want to hear from him?"

Director Jones looks at Dr. Buck, before he than spoke out.

"We have...at least...only some of it. But even this some of the answer that we have gained, it is still very worrying."

Dr. Buck looked confused, as she than spoke out.

"How worrying is it, that we are talking about?"

Director Jones looks down a little bit, choosing on his words as carefully as he can, before he than spoke out.

"If SCP-7131-1 and his brothers are able to come to our universe, than there is simply no doubt that this Infected entity, could do the same thing, and I do not dare want to know what would happen if we encounter something as powerful as this."

Dr. Buck nodded her head, as she than spoke out.

"I hope we don't see him on Earth as well, especially with this, Cannibalistic ability, that SCP-7131-1 had talked about. And it would get worse, if Infected were to bite and consume a piece of, say, SCP-682, and is able to gain SCP-682's ability to adapt, and 682 is already one of the most dangerous anomalies that the foundation had contained, and we are struggling to terminate it. I can't imagine how impossible that it would be to try and stop Infected."

Director Jones looks down at his table, before speaking out.

"You make a valid and effective note in this, Dr. Buck, and even I shudder to know how we are able to deal with this, thing, that SCP-7131-1 had talked about. And the last thing we need, if for Infected to be able to adapt, and be utterly impossible for us to stop, especially with the most dangerous powers that SCP-7131-1 described. Tell me, Dr. Buck, has SCP-7131-1 mentioned something that can help?"

Dr. Buck shook her head, as she than spoke out.

"No. In fact, the only thing that he claims is that his superior, this, Error404, entity, he is the only one stronger than Infected, and he is already busy, but SCP-7131-1 has mentioned that he has fought Infected before, but has not been able to defeat him, although he has gotten close to doing it. And the first time he fought him, he was not strong enough, and Infected overpowered it."

Director Jones pinched his nose, as he spoke out.

"Of course he would say that. And that Infected is unable to feel pain, just like SCP-076-2, who is also unable to feel pain, and can use bladed weapons, although his arsenal is much more larger. This just makes him much more dangerous. And even worse is that he is able to cause so much trauma to SCP-7131-1, and we have no way to getting rid of it, even with our most effective treatments

Dr. Buck looks down, and she than remembered something, before she than spoke out.

"That reminds me, have we caught the MTF Soldier that had used the Tesla Mechanism on SCP-7131-1?"

Director Jones looks at Dr. Buck and shook his head, before he spoke.

"Unfortunately, no."

Dr. Buck raised her eyebrows, as she spoke out.

"No? We have not caught the MTF, especially since he wound have a noticeable wound on the shoulder, which SCP-7131-1 had done to him?"

Director Jones than spoke out.

"We have tried to search for that MTF in person, to try and find him, but that MTF had suddenly vanished, with no trace behind. In fact, just this morning, Dr. Collingwood and Lawrence came and asked me the same question, and Dr. Collingwood believed who might have been responsible."

Dr. Buck looks at Director Jones and spoke out.

"And who might that possibly be?"

Director Jones than steadies his glasses a little bit, as he than spoke out.

"Well, she believes that an MTF named, Jared, was responsible, since he was in the same area as where SCP-7131-1 was at."

Dr. Buck looks down, as she than spoke out to Director Jones.

"It would make sense, as Jared does have a large hatred to SCP-7131-1, especially for one of the missions which involving capturing it."

Director Jones than spoke out.

"Well, that would make sense, if it wasn't for the fact that he was with me at the time of the shock. And because of this, this only proved Dr. Collingwood that she is wrong."

Dr. Buck than looks down, as she spoke out.

"But is it still possible?"

Director Jones than spoke out to Dr. Buck.

"Perhaps, but it could also be anyone. Maybe even a spy for a Group of Interest. Nobody knows the answer. It could be anyone."

Dr. Buck looks down at her legs. She thought of the reaction that Gradient had, when he panicked and freaked out at his moment of PTSD. When he thought that Infected was here, and caused a lot of damage to the site. Speaking of which, Gradient's freak out did more damage than even Dr. Buck was expecting. He had caused both external and internal structure to the site as a whole, and it is going to take a very long time to repair it. Dr. Buck than look up at Director Jones, as she than spoke out.

"Are we still trying to find that MTF, if that is even possible?"

Director Jones nodded, as he than spoke out.

"We are, but the search is proving ti be much more difficult then expected. And he is hiding. Because of this...we have no idea where he is at right now. And if he comes back to shock SCP-7131-1 again, and torture him, this will only make the situation get a lot worse."

In SCP-7131-1 area...

Gradient is looking up at the ceiling above him, as he closed his eyes, due to feeling a little bit stressed of what happened to him. He is thankful that it had ended, and the fact that Palette was able to calm him down, but he got immensely stressed at the fact that the MTF Guard that had attacked him had not been captured yet. At least he stabbed him in the shoulder, so that is a plus for him, since he was able to make sure that the MTF Guard had not gotten away unscathed. But still, this makes Gradient worried that he might come back again, and will try to make another attack attack on him. And if he is not caught, well, than he is going to try and make his attack again, possibly much more worse than last time he tortured him.

Gradient looks up and he thought of what happened, and wondered of when that MTF Guard was going to come back, and if that is the case, then he better be ready, since he will not know when he will strike. He just hopes that he can be mentally prepared for the possibility of that thing happening again.

Gradient sighed, as he smacked his face with his fingerless gloved hand, due to feeling a little bit frustrated of what happened, and the fact that the MTF Guard is still out of there somewhere. And besides, it is nighttime, so he better take some sleep, and speak with Palette about this.

But as he is doing that...he recalls seeing a guard that does seem to be outspoken against having to see him contained, and not to mention hating him immensely for some reason.

During Containment Breach...

Gradient punched SCP-096 in the face, as the Shy Guy was than knocked backwards into a wall, which made the wall crash down on top of him. The Shy Guy, however, stood up, and tries to run at Gradient, only for Gradient to grab onto his eye sockets, before he than swung and entangled the Red Strings onto the Shy Guy, which wrapped him up, and prevents SCP-096 from moving any further. Gradient sighed, as he smacked his head, only for SCP-058 to come out of nowhere, and tries to use its stringer on Dr. Buck.

But Gradient managed to see it, and teleporting in front of the heart, and beside Dr. Buck, he ended up punching the heart as hard as he could, sending it crashing into a wall, knocking it out. SCP-035 than tried to grab him, and force it's mask to be on Gradient, only for Gradient to smack the host away, as hard as he could, and tying him up.

As Gradient did that...

"Hey, what're you doing here, 7131-1?!"

Gradient and Dr. Buck turned around to see an MTF with his helmet off, his brown hair and force blue eyes looking at Gradient, as he held his machine gun at Gradient in the face, while Gradient simply looks unimpressed at what he is seeing before his very eyes. This is Jared, a member of an MTF Group of sorts, as he held his gun at Gradient, who is not intimidated.

"Jared, what are you-"

But Jared spoke out to Dr. Buck.

"Step back from it, Doctor."

Before Dr. Buck could speak, Gradient spoke out.

"Geez, when do the MTF began to order the doctors very suddenly? It's supposed to be the other way around."

Jared snarled, as he spoke out.

"What in the absolute hell are you doing outside of your containment chamber, 7131-1?!"

Gradient simply spoke out to Jared.

"Some of the anomalies barged into my containment cell and tries to make a mess, my brothers split, so why not he involved in the fun as well? And also, why are you still down here?"

Gradient's tone contains a venomous form of sarcasm.

"I'm the one asking the-"

But Gradient interrupted and spoke out.

"And why is there some blood and stuff on your uniform?"

"SHUT IT!!"

Jared said, as Gradient had Dr. Buck looked at Jared, suspicious of his behavior. In fact, Gradient is the most suspicious, due to the fact that most of the MTF never speak like that. There is something very wrong with him, as he spoke out after a deep breath.

"I was securing some of the rooms on the lower floor, and I had been seeing that some of the Doctors on that floor had been slaughtered, the very same floor that has been at your area, the ones you killed!"

But Gradient spoke out.

"Killed? Killing would be a mercy in my opinion, an act that lets people off to easily. I don't kill, I cause suffering to those that really deserve it. Besides, I am simply here, getting the Doctor out of the mess that she is in, as well ad ending the breach do my bros are okay."

Jared spoke out.

"And you expect me to believe that?!"

Dr. Buck than spoke out.

"On the contrary, Jared, he did defend me from SCP-106 and SCP-096, behind us."

Jared looked, and he saw that SCP-096 is wrapped in the cocoon of red strings, the top part of the face is now wrapped up in red strings, as Jared looks at Gradient, a look of hate and absolute fury in his face is present, as he than spoke out to Gradient, furiously.

"This does not prove anything! Seems like you got a lot of holes in your bones, skeleton man!"

Gradient than spoke out to Jared.

"Who gave you the right to shoot an SCP, human?"

Jared snarled, as he spoke out.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Gradient held out his arms, and used his blue magic, as he ripped the gun out of Jared, grip, before grabbing, and pixelating it, which scattered and became deleted in the process, before Gradient spoke out.

"It means you're a dumbass."

Than, he turns around, and sees that Lawrence is about to be touched by the Plague Doctor, SCP-049, as Gradient, not wanting to see Lawrence get killed, extends his hand out, and traps SCP-049, by piecing blue horns through his foot, and when SCP-049 notices that, he realizes that he can't move, and he cannot reach Agent Lawrence, as he turns around and spoke out.

"Oh, Dr. Buck, Gradient, good to see you're alive!"

Gradient rolled his eye lights, as Dr. Buck spoke out.

"Nice to see that you are alive yourself, Agent Lawrence. Is the upper and lower floor secured?"

Lawerence nodded his head, as he than spoke out.

"Yeah, though we did witness SCP-076 and SCP-682 fighting against each other, but thankfully SCP-682 got weak enough to contain when SCP-076-2 got killed."

Gradient than spoke out.

"You mean the one with the black blades and long hair?"

Lawrence nodded, as he spoke out.

"Yeah, how do you know that?"

Gradient spoke out.

"He had fought against me first, but it was difficult, due to how his ignorance of pain got annoying to me, though I did release him when SCP-682 came to the area that we are fighting."

This made Lawrence and Dr. Buck surprised, as Dr. Buck spoke out.

"You fought against SCP-076-2, all by yourself?"

Gradient nodded, as he spoke out.

"Yeah, though it was no picnic."

Lawrence than spoke out

"Well, I oughta thank you for that, Gradient. Made containing SCP-682 easier."

Gradient nodded, before speaking out.

"you're welcome, I guess. But it better not be a habit that the both of us suddenly pick up."

Lawrence nodded his head.

"Agreed."

Than, the sounds of strings snipping was heard, and Gradient turned around, as he summoned more and more red strings, and tied SCP-096 up as much as he can, before he tried the mouth and covered it, as Gradient spoke out.

"I need to search for my brothers. Hopefully they're okay."

Gradient turns around, as he than flies as fast as he can, but caught a glimpse of Jared's expression on his face. It looked absolutely murderous, like he wants to kill him with their chance that he's got. He almost doesn't feel like a foundation member at all. In fact, he feels like he is something else, something familar, before he had been found by the foundation, and was founded by someone much more crueler than the foundation. Well, Gradient can't think about it now. He needs to find his brothers.

Now...

Gradient sighed. And after that, Dr. Buck checks on him to see if he's injured. Gradient said that he is fine, and he doesn't need it. But Dr. Buck insists so, and he agreed to let her see if he's okay, though he had to use his pixels to cover up the injuries that he had before he arrived at the foundation.

Well, he shouldn't think of this for now. He than closed his eye sockets, and he goes to sleep, as his eye lights dimmed and faded into the darkness.

Dream World...

Gradient looks around, and sees that he is in a pitch black empty void of sorts. But as he looked around, he hears a voice calling from behind him.

"Gradient. Thank goodness that you are able to talk to me now."

Gradient turned around, and saw a bright purple sphere of light behind him, surrounded with purple paint, as Gradient realized that it is Palette Roller. Gradient nodded his head, as he than spoke out.

"Yeah, nice to see you as well, in the dream world, I mean."

Palette nodded, as he than floats forward, and he glows brightly, as he appears before Gradient in his usual form. The entire landscape changed, as it resembles the original Dreamtale, before Nightmare had corrupted and destroyed it. Gradient has no idea why he chose an area to look like this, but he will not complain as it is the leash of his worries. He looks back at Palette, as he than spoke out.

"So...it is very...interesting, to say the least, the foundation, I mean."

Gradient nodded his head, as he than spoke out.

"Okay, I'll get straight to the point. I have been acting a little...well...worried, recently, about something."

Palette looks at Gradient, as he than spoke out.

"What?"

Gradient than looks up at Palette and spoke out.

"Not what, who. It is about this Jared human. He is making me a little suspicious of him, due to the way that he is acting towards me. He looks like that he wants to kill me for some unknown, strange reason, even though I have not done anything bad to him. At least, nothing that I can think of."

Palette looks at Gradient and spoke out.

"No, you didn't do anything bad. In fact, I have a similar feeling to that man as well. There is something wrong about Jared. And I do not know why, like you do not know as well."

Gradient looks down, as he spoke out.

"There is something very wrong, Palette, and it is obvious not a very good thing at all, to have a feeling such as this. Maybe we should-"

Before Gradient could finish speaking, he stopped, and so did Palette, as Gradient spoke out.

"Do you...feel something, Palette Roller? I feel like we aren't the only ones here."

Palette nodded his head, as he spoke out.

"I hear you. I have a feeling something is wrong as well. It feels like someone is invading this dream world that we are in."

But that is impossible. Only Dead!Dream, the stronger version of the original Dream, as well as one of the fathers of Palette, he is the only one capable of such a feat, and he is not in this universe. He is not even aware of it. So who is he feeling it from all of a sudden? Than, a blinding light occurred, as Gradient and Palette closed their eyes, in order to protect their vision, at what is happening. When the light died down, they both opened their eyes, as they looked around.

It looks like they are in an open field, with a large pond of water in front of them, with dark cloud above the group, and a bench to sit on. And there is someone on the bench.

Gradient and Palette noticed a man, sitting on a bench. He is a man, somewhere in between is 20s and 30s, and wears a Cold War era business suit, meaning that he has a round hat, with a tie, black jacket that is reaching down to his knees, and has a suitcase. Something is wrong. This did not happen before, and more importantly...the presence is much more stronger, and it is coming from this man. Then, the man stood up, and turns around. His head is covered by the long hair that he has, but Gradient could tell that the man is looking at both him and Palette.

"What the...what is this?"

Palette said, as the man walked closer and closer to Gradient and Palette, as he spoke out.

"We finally meet. We need to talk."

This made Gradient weary, as he stepped back.

"What in the...who are you?"

The man stopped in front of them, as he than spoke out.

"I am known, as SCP-990, the Dream Man. It is nice to meet you, Palette, Gradient."

This stunned them both, as he spoke out.

"You...how do you..."

The Dream Man than spoke out.

"Know your names? I may be an SCP, but my presence is not bound by the multiverse that I live in. In fact, I am well aware of the universe that you reside in, Gradient."

Gradient could not believe it. An SCP from this universe somehow knows of the universe that he lives in, along with Palette. And somehow, he manage to breach a dream that he and Palette are inside, which only Dead!Dream and the original Dream are capable of when they are able to use their powers on them.

Palette than spoke our, as he spreads his wings.

"Well, you got our attention, SCP-990. So why did you invade our dreams?"

SCP-990 stepped forward, as he spoke out seriously.

"An important warning of what has yet to come."

This made Gradient instantly take this seriously. He had gotten warnings in the past about the future, and one of them is when it involves Himmsworth, a black cat with red eyes that is Omniscient, and knows everything, and undoubtably would know the Foundation. And he knows what has yet to come and discussed it with Gradient, which made him worried.

"You know of the dangers of our future? What is it, SCP-990?"

SCP-990 than tipped his hat a little, as he spoke out.

"Well, first of all...there will be a group of humans that will come and kill your and your brothers, though they will try and kill you first, as you are the biggest and most dangerous threat to them, due to having fought against you before."

Gradient can only think of one group, which is the GOC fools, but he does not know if they are inside of the Foundation, which he finds very unlikely, and SCP-990 continues to speak out.

"The second warning, and the most important of them all...is that you will not be the only ones that arrived from where you came from. Old faces that you have faced before, that you have fought before, will come to this world rather soon. And they will no doubt try and consume you in the darkness that they will kill and assimilate you into."

Gradient looked down, as he tries to think of something, to think of who it is that is likely to appear in this universe, the one that he is living in. It didn't take long for Gradient to realize what is about to happen soon. He looks up, his eye sockets widened, as he spoke out.

"That...it cannot be. You mean that..."

SCP-990 than spoke out.

"It seems that you are catching on, Gradient."

Gradient looked down, he clenched his fist, before Palette Roller takes the turn, as he than spoke out to the Dream Man.

"Why...why are you telling us this?"

SCP-990 gawked his head to the side, as he than spoke out.

"You may seem suspicious of me, but I am someone that is willing to warn everybody of what is about to happen next, including the Foundation, which Ironically landed me in the Keter class, due to being uncontainable. But regardless, this universe needs to be safe, and you, Gradient, along with your brother, Palette, are the only ones able to do the job. And believe it or not, the original Dream and I have met, along with the CORE child, and they agree with me aiding them, in their Omega Timeline. And I am doing whatever it takes to make sure that I can help them, and by extension, you."

Gradient looked down, unable to believe it, as Dream and CORE knew of the Dream Man, as he is not Expecting that. Gradient reminds Solent, along with Palette, who is also silent himself, before Gradient than turns around, and sees Hades behind him, his flaming hair looking at SCP-990, and surprising, SCP-990 looks at Maalik, and nodded his head, meaning that he can see him. Hades was surprised, but he nodded his head, as he than vanished completely, as Gradient sighed, and looked down.

"Haaaa...you are telling us the truth. I will prepare myself for what happens in the future, SCP-990. Thank you for warning us about this. I really need it. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that the SCP Multiverse remains safe as possible, including the universe that I am inside of right now."

SCP-990 nodded his head, as he than looks up, and spoke out.

"The dawn approaches, the dreaming begin to awaken. Gradient, Palette...

wake up."