"Attention all MTF Nine-Tailed Fox personnel! Report to the courtyard immediately!"
Luo Shu opened his eyes and sat up in bed.
His wrist terminal displayed: February 17, 2021 – 00:05.
Huh?
Didn't I just fall asleep?
Baffled, he dressed and hurried to the courtyard, where confused operatives murmured among themselves.
Bearded Jack bellowed:
"Intel suggests a major breach tonight at Site-19! Prep now!"
What breach?
Assistant Jenny wheeled out a cart, distributing infrared night-vision gear.
Once worn, faces became blurred red silhouettes.
"A blackout?" Luo Shu wondered.
Jack continued: "SCP-096 will breach containment and enter SCP-049's unit. Stay sharp!"
SCP-096?
Then it hit him.
Before bed, he'd seen a photo of a grotesquely ugly man.
That was SCP-096 ("The Shy Guy")!
The "God" had set a trap.
But something felt… off.
This sequence—eerily familiar.
Jack split the team.
Group 1 (led by Jack): Descend to Sublevel-5 (SCP-035's containment).
Group 2 (Luo Shu): Ambush SCP-049's unit.
Why involve SCP-035 ("The Possessive Mask")?
What's coming?
A convergence of SCP-035, SCP-049, and SCP-096?
XK-class vibes.
Luo Shu checked his terminal again—01:00.
Hours earlier, he'd recovered "Energy Hourglass", then found SCP-096's photo under his pillow.
No time gaps.
Forget it. Focus.
With SCP-096 inbound, he needed to act.
The Plague Doctor's Trust
Alone with SCP-049, Luo Shu seized the moment.
"Hey, old friend. We're pals, right?"
SCP-049's beak tilted. "I don't trust the Foundation. Liars, all of you."
Ouch.
Time for Rainbow Lollipop's persuasion.
"Remember our first meeting? I wore orange. I'm D-20915—a convict. Not really Foundation."
SCP-049 nodded.
The Foundation fed it D-Class, but never staff.
"Then why the MTF uniform?"
Luo Shu smirked. "Because I'm useful."
He flashed his ID: D-20915.
"See? Still D-Class."
SCP-049 relented. "Eta-11 has a D-Class too."
MTF Eta-11 ("Savage Beasts") handled auditory anomalies.
Their agent Dee, a former D-Class, had resisted SCP-092 ("Fifthist Music").
"Exactly!" Luo Shu pressed. "You distrust the Foundation. The Foundation distrusts D-Class. So trust me."
Flawless logic? No.
But Rainbow Lollipop muddled SCP-049's reasoning.
"I… can trust you."
"Friends trust each other. So we're friends!"
"Yes. Friends."
Success.
Luo Shu checked the Encyclopedia's milestone.
SCP-049: Added to "Anomalous Friends."
Then—a discrepancy.
Page 1 (SCP-173): 1/38.
Wait.
Earlier, "Energy Hourglass" was on Page 36.
Two new pages?
He flipped ahead.
Page 37: SCP-096.
Page 38: SCP-008.
No memory of these.
He tapped interaction logs, reclaiming fragments:
The Shy Guy.
SCP-049 + SCP-035.
Zombie virus.
Biohazard crisis.
But one question remained:
Time.
And Bearded Jack—shouldn't he be dead?
Luo Shu radioed: "Boss, today's the 17th, right?"
Jack growled: "Obviously. Focus!"
The voice was real.
This wasn't a dream.
It was a reset.