The guards were closing in on me so I had to let go of the thought and took a deep breath, reminding myself to stay calm and confident. I nodded politely as they passed, hoping they wouldn't suspect a thing.
Finally, I reached the elevator and punched in the access code. The doors opened with a quiet ding and I stepped inside. I let out a sigh of relief as the doors closed, taking me down to the basement level.
I stepped out of the elevator and into a dimly lit hallway. The sound of dripping water echoed through the empty space. I made my way to the end of the corridor, where a heavy metal door stood between me and my goal.
I pulled out the key card and swiped it through the reader. The lock clicked open and I pushed the door open, revealing a small room filled with computers and machinery. I made my way to the center console and began typing furiously, downloading the data I came for.
Suddenly, the door burst open and a team of guards rushed in, guns drawn. I froze, wondering if my cover had been blown. My plan was flawless and there was a very low possibility of it being foiled. I stood there quietly and had a friendly face as a guard approached me. But then, one of them took a closer look at my janitor's uniform and dismissed me as a harmless bystander. They rushed past me, chasing after their real target.
It seemed someone else had also broken into the building and was so careless that they set off an alarm, so the guards were in search of the intruder… talk about timing, but the down side was that the guards were now on high alert and I needed to be more cautious unless my cover might be blown.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and finished up downloading the data. I slipped the hard drive into my pocket and headed back out into the hallway, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. As I executed the mission on the field, I felt an adrenaline rush unlike anything I had experienced before.
The thrill of being in the thick of the action, taking direct control of the operation, was a stark contrast to my usual role of overseeing the mission from a distance as my pawns did my bidding. My janitor's disguise had worked flawlessly, and the fake mustache had proven to be a key element which helped in making my disguise more believable.
While I assessed my options for escaping the building, I quickly realized that the vents were no longer a viable option. The system had likely locked them down in case the intruder was still inside and hiding themselves in the vent. Jumping out a window also didn't feel like a smooth or safe escape as it seemed too predictable. If I was spotted by anyone while I tried using a window for my escape, they might mistake me for the other intruder who was dumb enough to trigger the alarm system.
If I was going to leave that building, I wanted to do it in style and I didn't mind going all out with the operation because I always liked it when they go smoothly and without flaws till the very end. I decided to use the chaos and confusion of the situation to my advantage. I slipped seamlessly into the crowd of workers as they evacuated the building, blending in with the commotion.
While I was in the room where I extracted the data I came there for, I temporarily slipped in my fake identity as a janitor and validated my card and checked myself like I had checked in earlier. They would be rendered invalid and would evaporate from the system in less than a minute's time.
As I made my way towards the lobby, my heart raced as I spotted three burly guards stationed at the reception. They stood tall and vigilant, clearly on high alert after the reported intruder. With just five minutes left on the clock, I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to check out on time.
As I drew closer, I took a deep breath and steadied my nerves. Rolling a bucket filled with equipment and a mop by my side, I tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. But the guards' sharp eyes were on me, scanning my every move as I approached them.
As I approached the desk, my heart raced a bit as the guards stared at me with suspicion. Two of them scrutinized me closely while the other barely gave me a glance before looking away.
"I haven't seen your face around here before, are you new to the job?" One of the guards questioned as I handed over my card.
"Yes, I just started. You'll be seeing a lot more of me soon," I responded with a soft smile, my artificial mustache spreading a little at each side to make it look natural for a young man.
"Welcome, rookie," he replied as he swiped my card and the computer started scanning and loading.
The tension in the air was palpable as the seconds ticked by. The suspicious guard continued to give me a scrutinizing look, his suspicion growing with each passing moment as the others seemed to do the same.
Suddenly, a beep from the computer broke the silence. My heart leapt with relief as my fake details appeared on the screen, a face that was similar to mine but untraceable to me.
"It seems the emergency we're currently having has made the system operate at a slow speed," the guard said as he handed me back my card.
"Thank you. I hope you catch that intruder soon and prevent something like this from happening again," I replied, flashing a bright smile as I made my way out of the building.
As soon as I was out of sight, I continued a steady pace as I walked towards the alley where I had previously stashed my disguise. I needed to disappear quickly and back to my motel.
I had finally made it to the dumpster and was about to remove my disguise, starting with my mustache and my cap. I had removed the mustache and as my right hand reached for my cap above my wig, I heard a voice, a female voice, coming from behind me.
"Don't move," the voice commanded, and I froze. With my hand still on my cap, I turned slowly to face the person behind me. I had a feeling it was one of those do-gooder heroes who were always trying to stop the outlaws from achieving my goals.
I slowly turned around, my cap and wig suddenly flew from my head as if they were telekinetically yanked off my head. My long white hair flowed with the night wind as it shimmered under the moonlight. I was taken aback for a moment, wondering how she had managed to do that.
I looked up and noticed that a figure in a purple robe was hovering midair, with the hood covering her face completely. Without moving an inch, I focused on controlling the flow of the wind and took off the hood, revealing her face. What I saw was different from what I had seen on TV so far.
Her face was a true beauty to behold - with extremely pale skin that glowed in the moonlight, alluring eyeliner that accentuated her striking violet eyes, and long dark hair that cascaded down her back. But what caught my attention the most was the gemstone in the middle of her forehead. It was a deep shade of purple, and it glittered in the moonlight like a star.
I looked at Raven with a calm expression on my face as I wasn't intimidated by her power nor was I impressed with her beauty.
"Who are you and what are you doing in this alley wearing a disguise?" She asked. "I'm sure you have something to do with the intruder situation in Palmer Tech, or can you explain why you wore a wig? Those questions seemed irrelevant to me at the moment because I didn't know much about raven powers and I was sure magic would definitely cause some damage to me.
Magic had always fascinated me, but it was also something that I had never truly understood. It was beyond the laws of physics and seemed like the one thing I couldn't fight against. Yet, in this world of superheroes and villains, it was a force to be reckoned with. So I thought it best not to engage in a fight with Raven.
"I'm just a passerby who happened to take a shortcut through this alley," I replied, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "I assure you, I have nothing to do with the intruder situation in Palmer Tech. As for the disguise, well, let's just say I have my reasons." I said as I tried to ignore the mild headache from the probing she attempted on my mind, but she couldn't get through.
Raven continued to study me for a few moments, her eyes piercing through mine as if trying to unearth the truth, her expression unreadable. I could feel the weight of her gaze on me, and I knew that she wasn't convinced by my explanation. I had to do something to prove my innocence and gain her trust.
"Very well," she finally said, nodding her head slightly. I let out a sigh of relief. However, my relief was short-lived as her tone suddenly changed. "You are lying." She said as she reached out her hand. "If you won't tell me the truth, then I have no choice." Suddenly, I felt a strange force pulling me towards Raven, and before I knew it, I was lifted off the ground and drawn towards her. It was an unnerving sensation, like being caught in a powerful gravitational pull.
As I approached Raven, I could feel her intense gaze on me, and I knew she was up to something. My heart raced as I wondered what her intentions were. 'Should I use my powers to fight back?' The thought was tempting, and I could feel my instincts taking over. But then I took a deep breath and decided to stay calm, letting the suspense play out.
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