After half a month underground, the capital of the New World appeared eerily normal.
Pedestrians hurried to work, hot dog vendors manned their carts, and homeless men lounged in the sun—all oblivious to the city's near-destruction 15 days prior.
Only Luo Shu knew the truth:
These people were only 15 days old.
Products of SCP-2000's mechanical deus ex machina, their memories and lives were fabricated.
Even the racist medic in their convoy—who'd rotted to death before Luo Shu's eyes—was now alive, sneering at him from his seat.
Pathetic.
Cross me again, and I'll turn you into a corpse for real this time.
The Apartment Siege
Their convoy stopped at a run-down apartment block, cordoned off by National Guard troops.
A captain briefed Big Beard Jack:
"A serial killer's holed up inside. Started with knives and axes, then upgraded to guns. When we moved in, he pulled out an RPG."
He pointed to a shattered window—clear evidence of the explosion.
Luo Shu edged behind Jack.
Why bring me to a firefight? I'd rather face a Keter-class anomaly than some psycho with heavy artillery!
Just nuke the place and be done with it.
Jack frowned. "Snipers?"
"Tried that," the captain said. "Headshot—he didn't die. Just kept moving like nothing happened."
Ah.
An immortal killer.
Luo Shu dubbed him "The Invincible Murderer" internally.
Cheating bastard.
The captain eyed them curiously. "You guys aren't surprised. This happen before? Some Area 51 shit?"
Jack glared. "Classified."
(Area 51 was a cover for Area-14, housing SCPs like Dark Heart (SCP-058), Fernand the Cannibal (SCP-082), and the Thousand-Mawed Beast (SCP-939).)
After the handover, Jack barked orders:
"Amnestics team—wipe bystanders. Luo Shu—with me to the overlook. Tactical squad—hold positions."
Perfect.
Luo Shu had no intention of getting near the killer. Observing from afar suited him fine.
The Observation Post
From the opposite building, they had a clear view of the killer's apartment.
The RPG-blasted room held a dead Guardsman and an unused SMAW launcher.
Beyond it, the killer—wearing a green jacket and white shirt—sat casually eating pie.
No visible injuries.
No concern for the siege.
Just... snacking.
Luo Shu's skin crawled.
What the hell is this guy?