Not According to the Rules

"Advisor Zhang, what are you doing?"

Seeing Zhang Jue unexpectedly draw his gun at Hunter, Davis looked puzzled. The incident happened suddenly, and all of them were startled by Zhang Jue's sudden action.

Hael and his assistant were all from SCP Foundation, so they didn't dare to interrupt him. After the Site-14 infiltration, Zhang Jue's reputation at the Foundation was already very big. He must have had his reasons for doing so.

Zhang Jue pointed his gun at Hunter's head and smiled at Davis, "Bearded man, haven't you noticed by now? He's not Hunter at all."

"How come?" Hearing what had Zhang Jue said, Davis was shocked, "Hunter and I are very good friends. There is no way someone could pretend to be Hunter. There is something that only I know about him. He has a scar on his left ear that was cut out by an enemy when he saved my life. I remember the shape of the scar, and no one else could recreate that!" Davis was adamant but left Hael shocked.

He looked at Hunter sitting on the bench, and indeed Hunter's left earlobe was missing a piece of flesh. The scar was indistinct, and it looks like it happened a long time ago. Something like that is tough to replicate.

Hunter immediately said, "Davis, don't trust these SCP Foundation people. They're trying to divide us!"

Davis looked at Zhang Jue and then at Hunter. His hand started to move to his waist, where he had his sidearm. Hael and his assistant immediately looked at Davis, fearing that he would suddenly make an attack. The situation was tense for a while.

The GOC and the Foundation have always been in a love-hate situation. Although they have worked together, it's not unheard of for them to go at each other with knives and guns. The conflict was imminent. It was nothing different for Zhang Jue.

"Davis, I know you won't believe what I say. But it's easy to prove that this man is not Hunter. Just take off his helmet."

Take off the helmet? Davis didn't understand what Zhang Jue meant. Neither did Hael and his assistant.

The situation was still the same. Zhang Jue was a good talker, and he always found a way to make you follow his rhythm.

After he finished, he immediately turned his gaze to Hunter, "Are you willing to take off your helmet for everyone to see?" Zhang Jue's gaze was sharp, like a falcon's eye.

Hunter was instantly caught in his gaze and stammered, "No, no, why would I take off my helmet? Davis, don't listen to him. Let's take them out together!"

Davis was not an ordinary person. He can't betray his friend just because Zhang Jue says so. But Hunter was acting strange and seemed to be a bit helpless, as if there was something odd about his helmet.

"Hunter, take off your helmet." Davis said, "I promise you, if he's wrong, I'll gladly help you. Even if it cost my life, I will not betray the organization."

Seeing that Davis also began to doubt himself, Hunter said sharply, "No, Davis, you have to believe me! They are using you-"

"What a fucking nuisance." Zhang Jue couldn't stand to watch his fake act anymore. He pulled the trigger in his hand.

Bang!

The sound of gunfire could be heard, and everyone froze. No one expected Zhang Jue to shoot. Davis thought Zhang Jue was going to kill him, his eyes turned red, and he was ready to fight him.

Zhang Jue immediately waved his hand and pointed in Hunter's direction, "Look."

It turned out that Zhang Jue's shot had not hit Hunter's body but had broken the lacing of his helmet. The helmet broke away from Hunter's head with a strong shock and fell to the ground. Davis looked over at Hunter, and he was stunned. Not only him, even Hael and his assistant were dumbfounded. Their jaw opened wide.

The original Hunter looked like Davis, a big black man. The current "Hunter" although still wearing the GOC armed suit, his face turned out to be a white man, had a mustache, and looked at least 50 or 60 years old.

"You're..." Davis's brain suddenly jams, unable to speak of what he just saw.

Hael and his assistant also looked at Zhang Jue, seeking an explanation. Only Zhang Jue did not show the slightest surprise at the real-life version of the "transformation" that had just happened as if he had expected such an outcome.

Zhang Jue maintained his posture, his pistol still pointed at "Hunter's" head, picked up the helmet that had fallen, and turned it around in his hand.

"It's simple." He said, "This is not a GOC helmet at all, but SCP-180."

-----

Item No: SCP-180 (Identity Thieving Hat)

Object Class: Euclid

Description: SCP-180 appears as a hat or other form of headwear or hair accessory. Any individual who places SCP-180 on their head will have their identity 'stolen' by the hat. This effect causes the original host to be completely unrecognizable, even to people strongly familiar with the person.

Once SCP-180 has stolen the identity of a host subject, when SCP-180 is placed upon any other subject's head, the identity of the first subject (host) is imprinted on the second subject. This is possible not only for people but for animals and inanimate objects. For example, subjects have mistaken dogs, statues, and coffee tables for the host of SCP-180 when the hat is placed on these objects.

SCP-180's appearance changes upon changing host. However, the effect is only visual. The object has appeared as a top hat, a skull cap, a baseball cap, a bandanna, a hair clip, a hijab, and a motorcycle helmet.

Research has been unable to explain how and why radiation (visual and infrared) is manipulated by SCP-180 to produce false images.

Special Containment Procedures: For security reasons, All headwear (including hair clips and bows) is restricted in the Containment Site. Anyone violating this rule is subject to a complete physical search, auditing of travel within the Site, and DNA identity testing.

-----

Hearing what had Zhang Jue said, Hael remembered that a long time ago, the Foundation had a theft incident resulting in multiple anomalous items being taken from their Site. One of which was SCP-180. It's not that he didn't know about it. He just didn't expect at all that SCP-180 would appear here.

But this also raised questions for Hael. SCP-180 would steal the original owner's identity and overlay it on the current owner's body, and even Hunter's good friend Davis had failed to recognize it. How did Zhang Jue know he was a fake?

After being revealed by Zhang Jue, that white Hunter changed from a wounded Hunter look just a moment ago. His expression became profoundly inexplicable as if he wasn't worried about his situation at all.

It looked like even if his identity was recognized, he still had the confidence to escape or even to kill them here.

He looked at Zhang Jue and asked with a smile, "The Foundation is really talented. Young man, you are sharp. Can you tell me how you figured me out?"

According to the usual formula, our protagonist should list a lot of details that are difficult to observe, tell the person's weaknesses, boast of his keen observation and precise reasoning, and end with, "When you eliminate all impossible situations, there will be only one detail left for me to conclude. No matter how unbelievable is the outcome" to complete a beautiful pretense.

Knowing Zhang Jue, he didn't play by the rule.

He took a step and slapped the white Hunter's head.

"I haven't said anything, and who gave you the permission to talk?!"