Luo Shu's stubborn denial gave Barbie a headache.
Naturally, she trusted her own team—White-Eyes and "Oil"—over an outsider like him.
Luo Shu is definitely hiding something!
Detaining him wouldn't be a mistake!
But her primary mission in Area-14 was to capture a reality bender, not investigate suspicious personnel. Monitoring potential threats fell to MTF Mu-3 ("Highest Bidders"), who specialized in surveilling rival Groups of Interest, including rooting out moles.
Moreover, Luo Shu was technically under the joint oversight of:
Area-14
Hammer Down MTF (provisional)
Site-19 (personnel files)
Nine-Tailed Fox (security clearance)
Arresting him without cause would mean provoking four separate Foundation branches. She needed at least one of them on her side first.
Suppressing her frustration, Barbie growled, "Fine. If you won't admit it, we'll take this to Area-14's Security Director!"
"Bring it on," Luo Shu shot back, unfazed.
The Hearing
At Security HQ, the director listened to both sides:
Luo Shu insisted he'd never left his room, merely waking up to use the bathroom before finding "Oil" breaking in.
Barbie demanded action based on her team's testimonies.
The director first reviewed dormitory surveillance footage—which showed no trace of Luo Shu exiting, only Achilles' Heel's later activities.
Verdict: "Insufficient evidence. Your operative's claim is unsubstantiated."
Barbie expected this. Even her surveillance hadn't caught Luo Shu leaving.
"There are countless anomalies that evade cameras," she argued.
"True," the director conceded, "but we can't convict someone on speculation alone."
Barbie's Second Card: "His door was tampered with—sealed shut!"
Standard dorm locks weren't high-security. If Luo Shu's was modified, it implied guilt.
Maintenance was summoned—and reported:
"No anomalies detected. The lock matches Area-14's standard specs."
Luo Shu smirked. Of course. He'd ordered the animated lock to revert to "normal" the moment he returned.
Barbie's eye twitched. Time for her trump card.
She shoved White-Eyes forward. "His 'Gaze' ability lets him track targets visually. He's been watching Luo Shu since yesterday."
To prove it, she accessed Foundation databases, displaying White-Eyes' registered ability to the director.
White-Eyes' Testimony:
"Luo Shu set a 2 AM alarm, washed up, dressed—clearly preparing to leave. Later, I saw him in a black chamber with a flaming entity the size of a volleyball, covered in limbs and tentacles."
The director stiffened. "You're describing SCP-058's containment chamber."
Luo Shu laughed. "You believe that?"
The director eyed Luo Shu, then shook his head. "No."
Barbie exploded. "You know that chamber? Then why dismiss it?!"
Director's Response:
"SCP-058's chamber is a biological dead zone. Even SCP-682 would get torn apart there. How would a human survive?"
"It's sealed except during maintenance. You think 100+ staff missed him?"
"Did White-Eyes see him enter? Or just appear inside?"
No evidence. No motive. Why would Luo Shu go there? To die?
The director's bias wasn't arbitrary—Luo Shu's self-deception ability passively convinced others:
He's loyal to the Foundation.
He's not Chaos Insurgency.
What harm could he possibly intend?
Standoff
Barbie clenched her fists. Without concrete proof, she was stuck.
Luo Shu pressed his advantage:
"This is a witch hunt. If I'm your reality bender, arrest me. Otherwise, stop wasting Area-14's time."
The director nodded. "Case dismissed. MTF Achilles' Heel, restrict your operations to your actual mission."
As they filed out, Luo Shu met Barbie's glare with icy calm.
This isn't over.