To be honest, despite possessing a whole set of abilities from the SCP Illustrated Handbook, Luoshu still wasn't too keen on confronting a highly aggressive Keter-class anomaly head-on.
He checked his current three milestones. The effects of Anomaly Discoverer and Anomaly Namer were useless against the Mask of Possession. Only the Containment Specialist milestone's ability—doubling the duration of his skills—could be of any use.
Combined with SCP-055's antimemetic properties, he could remain unobservable for an extended period, avoiding the Mask's mental influence.
As for relying on the Rainbow Lollipop's ability to persuade the Mask of Possession…
Luoshu suspected that the moment he got close, he'd be brainwashed into a servant before he could even speak.
He decided that against the Mask of Possession, he had to play it safe—let Big Beard Jack, the reckless brute, take the front lines.
Just as Luoshu expected, Big Beard Jack was indeed reckless. After leaving the Site Director's office, he rushed straight to the elevator on the first basement level, frantically pressing the button to summon it.
Luoshu couldn't take it anymore and had to remind him, "The Mask of Possession already wrecked the elevator. It's not moving."
Only then did Big Beard Jack remember this detail. He immediately used the brute strength of his exosuit to pry open the elevator doors, sticking his head inside to search for the Mask.
But the elevator shaft was too dark—he couldn't see a thing.
So he called the surveillance room for help. "Scan for me—where is 035 right now?"
The surveillance room replied helplessly, "Sir, there are no cameras in the elevator shaft. We can't see it either."
"What do we do now?" With no other options, Big Beard Jack had to turn to Luoshu for advice.
"Have people guard the elevator exits on every floor," Luoshu answered. After saying this, he began considering the Mask's possible moves.
With just an ordinary human body, escaping Site-19 was absolutely impossible.
So it needed a stronger vessel!
According to SCP Foundation records, SCP-035 showed intense interest in other SCPs, particularly SCP-682 and SCP-4715.
SCP-682 was the infamous Hard-to-Destroy Reptile—a creature with extreme regenerative abilities. If possessed, SCP-035 would gain a powerful, permanent body.
But SCP-682 would never be kept in the same location as it. That thing's containment site had always been a mystery.
As for SCP-4715, the Demon Born of War, it was contained in a place called Area 4715-23, located 315 meters below sea level in the Stikine region of northwestern Canada's mountain ranges.
Setting aside these two distant anomalies, the most suitable candidate for SCP-035 within Site-19 was undoubtedly SCP-049, the Plague Doctor.
Countless SCP fans had shipped these two as a pair, arguing that since the Plague Doctor already wore a bird-like mask, adding the Mask of Possession would be perfect.
035 + 049 = Corrupted Zombies
That would be the start of a full-blown biohazard outbreak!
Aside from the Plague Doctor, there was also SCP-166, the Succubus Girl, on B4—another humanoid SCP.
035 + 166 = Corrupted Succubus
The mental image was… unsettling.
The thought of Gaia's body rotting away made Luoshu uncomfortable.
So he quickly warned Big Beard Jack, "I think 035 is most likely heading to B4. Doesn't it prefer possessing humanoid SCPs?"
Big Beard Jack was startled by this. While radioing the MTF squad to assemble at B4, he dragged Luoshu toward the stairs. Luoshu stumbled along, barely keeping up, and couldn't help slapping his own mouth in regret.
Why did I have to open my big mouth?!
Now he was being dragged straight to the front lines…
By the time the two reached the B4 elevator exit, they saw that the doors had been violently destroyed from the inside. Two MTF support personnel lay dead outside, having committed suicide—clearly victims of the Mask.
The most alarming part was that the Mask hadn't taken their bodies.
Logically, MTF operatives were physically superior to regular Site-19 staff.
By all reasoning, the Mask should have upgraded to a better vessel.
Yet it had ignored them, meaning it had far greater ambitions!
Undoubtedly, there was a humanoid SCP ahead calling to it—why would it waste time on ordinary humans?
Just as Luoshu was debating whether the Mask would choose the Plague Doctor or the Succubus Girl, Big Beard Jack's radio crackled to life with a report from surveillance.
"Sir! It's heading down the left corridor from your position!"
Left?
That was the non-biological containment zone…
What was the Mask planning?
Still, the two followed the surveillance team's directions and gave chase.
After winding through several corridors, the path ahead grew increasingly familiar.
At this point, there was no need to guess—Luoshu already knew the Mask's target.
Peanut.
035 + 173 = ???
He recalled a note from SCP-035's file, Appendix 035-01:
SCP-035 has been observed capable of controlling any humanoid object, including mannequins, corpses, and statues. SCP-035 can animate all of the above, eliminating its need to rely on living hosts.
Though SCP-173's official documentation didn't specify it, everyone knew that as the Foundation's original SCP, Peanut also had an indestructible body.
Meaning it, too, was a perfect permanent vessel for the Mask!
And unlike the Plague Doctor or the Succubus Girl, Peanut could teleport.
The Plague Doctor's zombie-making ability and the Succubus's charm were things the Mask didn't even need.
SCP-035 already had mental domination—it could brainwash humans into servants, so why bother with zombies?
By the same logic, mind control worked regardless of gender—why settle for a Succubus's primal allure?
Luoshu should've realized sooner—the Mask had been eyeing Peanut from the start.
By the time he and Big Beard Jack reached Peanut's corridor, it was too late.
Several security and MTF corpses littered the hallway. Peanut stood in the center, its back turned to them.
Then, slowly, it turned around.
This was Luoshu's first time seeing Peanut move.
The statue—which had never walked before—now wore a white mask as it took slow, deliberate steps toward them.
Thick, corrosive mucus oozed from the Mask's eye sockets and mouth, dripping down Peanut's body.
The slime ate away at Peanut's exterior—the spray paint vanished, the grimy red-and-yellow stains disappeared, and chunks of concrete skin peeled off…
Peanut's inner monologue: Bro… you're finally here. Save me!