Blackout: Tales of the Foundation

Tale 0: Diabolus Ex Nihilo

DIABOLUS EX NIHILO
The Devil From Nothing

A most fitting moniker for the Chief Enforcer of the SCP Foundation.

This term is commonly known as a trope. A "Diabolus ex Nihilo" is usually referred to in a narrative as an enemy that appears from nowhere and without any prior warning, backstory or reasoning. It's simply there, and makes the situation worse by just existing.

From a practical view, it describes him as the widely feared executioner who could appear right in front of you with that dread-inducing smile he's always seen with.

However, it also applies to his overall presence and standing across the Foundation's ranks. 

Very few people are allowed to know who he is, nobody knows where or when he came from, and whenever he does appear, it's the absolute worst-case scenario for everyone.

Rephrasing, it's the worst-case scenario for everyone who doesn't run away fast enough, and even then safety isn't guaranteed.

Now, one may argue that the moniker of "Devil" is uncalled for, given that the Enforcer is the first and last line of defense against the horrors of the unknown and has saved the world more times than the number of humans on Earth.

The issue relies on how he saves the world. Namely by destroying it.

One of the main reasons he's regarded as a Devil or a Demon is because the Enforcer wants and actively seeks to destroy and kill as much as he can, especially if it involves innocent lives getting caught in the crossfire.

To put it into perspective, his solution to the trolley problem is "Kill the five on the other side, stop, back up to ensure they're dead, hop to the other side, and kill the other. If the person ran away in that timeframe, good for them."

This exact attitude is why O5 Command issues a meticulous process in selecting which missions and/or anomalies he gets to decommission, which is why he's usually relegated to the prevention of K-Class scenarios alongside his personal MTF Squad, Omega-6.

Nevertheless, the countless atrocities and senseless slaughter he causes in his wake would be enough to be discharged and terminated immediately, if not for the fact that the Enforcer's position makes him virtually untouchable.

The first issue is the obvious one: Imagine telling a reality-warping monster in human skin whose hatred for everything surpasses that of SCP-682's, that he's discharged from his job and free to do as he pleases. 

It's much better to keep such a monster under your paycheck than allow him to walk out and rampage into the world unopposed. Worse, this monster is the head of the Foundation's military might and knows every weakness and secret.

The second one is that the Enforcer is damn good at his job, with his mission record being spotless across the board. He also diligently keeps tabs on every squad under his command and corrects any mistakes he sees, either by a genuinely constructive review or just killing whoever he deems unfit.

The third one is that the Enforcer is the Foundation's primary deterrent against other Groups of Interest and anomalies that threaten the planet. Groups like the GOC, the Mekhanites, and the Fifthist Church immediately back off once he's even mentioned. The more... persistent groups are handled accordingly at his discretion.

"At his discretion" is the operative term. It usually means that he's allowed to eliminate whoever he deems fit, which, in his perception, translates to the targets, their loved ones, distant relatives, and even passing acquaintances.