Chapter 111: Chapter 109
The sleek Lexcorp tower loomed against the National City skyline, its glass facade reflecting the afternoon sun. Haruka's candroids are spying around the area of the tower. Kara sat beside him, her eyes never leaving the building's entrance.
"How long have we been here?" Haruka asked, checking his watch.
Kara didn't move her gaze. "Three hours, seventeen minutes, and..." she paused, "twenty-six seconds."
A Takacandroid perched on the dashboard, its sensors scanning the building's exterior. Haruka tapped a few commands on its interface, expanding the surveillance range.
"Any movement?" he asked.
"Nothing unusual," Kara responded. Her superhearing remained focused on the building, filtering through conversations and ambient noise. "Lena's been in her office most of the day. Meetings, phone calls. Nothing that screams 'stolen radioactive material.'"
Haruka pulled out a protein bar, breaking it in half and offering a piece to Kara. She declined with a slight shake of her head.
Hours crawled by, and the Lexcorp tower remained frustratingly unchanged. Kara's fingers drummed an impatient rhythm against the car's dashboard. Her superhearing picked up nothing but mundane office chatter and the hum of fluorescent lights.
"We can't just sit here," Kara muttered, turning to Haruka. "We need to do something."
Haruka raised an eyebrow. "What do you suggest?"
"Okay, how about…" Kara began, leaning forward. "We can enter the building through the vents."
Haruka shook his head. "This is not a mission impossible movie. We don't have the map of the building and I'm sure they have defenses for those."
Undeterred, Kara continued. "Fine. Second idea - I could casually walk into the building, pretend to be a delivery person or something, and snoop around."
"Do you really expect that to work?" Haruka cut her off.
Kara huffed. "Right, it's stupid. Third idea - uhh... Oh, how about I go in as a reporter and try to get an interview with Lena."
"Aren't you just a new reporter? They won't let you get an interview with that easily."
Kara slumps in defeat. "Uh, what can we do?!"
Haruka turns away and asks Ada for help. "Ada, do you have anything that could help us get inside Lexcorp?"
[Analyzing mission parameters. Recommendation: Kamen Rider Ichigo's shapeshifting ability.]
"Shapeshifting?" Haruka raised an eyebrow.
[Affirmative,] Ada continued. [Ichigo possesses an advanced disguise technique that renders the user almost indistinguishable from the target. Probability of successful infiltration: 87.6%.]
Kara leaned closer, intrigued. "How does that work?"
Haruka checked his point balance. The skill cost several thousand points, which he already has a lot of from doing missions. He scrolled through the system shop, finding the Ichigo's Shapeshifting skill. The price tag read 5,000 points.
"I'm going to purchase it," Haruka declared, selecting the option. A confirmation prompt appeared, and he pressed 'Accept'.
The points disappeared from his balance, and a warm sensation spread through his body. Ada's voice chimed, "Ichigo's Shapeshifting acquired. Shapeshifting capabilities now activated."
Haruka turned to Kara with a confident smile. "I have a way to get inside Lexcorp."
Kara's eyebrow arched skeptically. "How?"
Without warning, Haruka's body began to shimmer and shift. His features blurred, muscles and bone structure rearranging themselves with an almost liquid-like fluidity. Within seconds, a perfect replica of Haruka stood beside the original, then suddenly transformed again.
Kara's jaw dropped. The shapeshifting was seamless - no visible seams, no awkward transitions. One moment Haruka looked like himself, the next he was an exact duplicate of a random office worker they'd seen earlier walking into Lexcorp.
"Shapeshifting," Haruka explained, his voice now matching the copied employee's tone and cadence. "I can become anyone I've observed closely enough."
Kara leaned forward, examining the transformation with scientific curiosity. "That's... incredibly effective. How precise is it?"
Haruka smirked and suddenly transformed into Kara herself. "Want to see?"
The Kara-version of Haruka struck an exaggerated pose, mimicking her mannerisms perfectly. "Oh look at me, I'm Supergirl, superhero extraordinaire!" he said in a pitch-perfect imitation of her voice.
Kara burst out laughing, both impressed and slightly unnerved by the perfect replication.
"Great! This plan could work. Now we need to just find an employee we can 'borrow' for a bit."
Kara tilted her head, her superhearing and supervision scanning the bustling street near Lexcorp. Her eyes focused on a middle-aged scientist walking confidently towards the building. His white lab coat and Lexcorp ID badge marked him as a potential target.
"Found someone," Kara whispered to Haruka. She pointed discreetly at the man. "Paul Leeman. Works in the biochemistry department. Mid-50s, seems distracted by something on his tablet."
Haruka nodded, activating his newly acquired shapeshifting ability. He watched as Paul approached, his steps steady and purposeful. In a swift motion, Haruka grabbed Paul and pulled him into a nearby alley, hidden from street view.
A quick strike rendered Paul unconscious. Haruka looked down at the scientist's limp form and muttered, "Sorry about this."
Haruka carefully studied Paul Leeman's features, committing every detail to memory. His body began to shimmer and shift, muscles and bone structure rearranging until an exact replica of the unconscious scientist stood in the alley. He patted down Paul's lab coat, finding the Lexcorp ID badge and clipping it onto his own chest.
Kara approached, her eyes scanning Haruka critically. "Be safe going in there, Rider."
Haruka nodded, practicing a slight academic stoop and adjusting his posture. "Don't worry, Kara. I'll be careful," he said, his voice now matching Paul's precise, slightly nasal tone.
"And if things go south?" Kara asked, her tone a mix of concern and challenge.
"I can trust you to pull me out," Haruka responded with a confident smile.
Kara nodded, her eyes serious. "Exactly. I've got your back."
With that, Haruka walked towards the Lexcorp building, his steps measured and professional, mimicking the gait of a mid-level scientist deeply absorbed in his work.
Haruka walked through Lexcorp's gleaming lobby, his borrowed scientist persona moving with practiced confidence. The hallway buzzed with corporate energy - sleek surfaces reflecting overhead lights, employees moving purposefully between departments. Overhead speakers played a continuous corporate announcement about Lexcorp's latest technological innovations.
"Ongoing research continues to push the boundaries of scientific discovery," the announcement droned. "Lexcorp remains committed to solving humanity's most pressing challenges."
Haruka adjusted his lab coat, carefully mimicking Paul Leeman's slightly distracted demeanor. His eyes scanned the environment, searching for access points to deeper, more secure areas of the building. A digital directory caught his attention, displaying various research departments and security clearance levels.
"This is where the biochemistry section is located, so I should head there first."
Haruka stepped into the elevator, his borrowed scientist persona maintaining a calm demeanor. He swiped the ID badge Paul Leeman had been carrying, selecting a floor near the restricted research areas. The elevator's digital display flickered as it ascended, soft muzak playing in the background.
"I hope I can find something here," Haruka muttered under his breath, careful to maintain Paul's precise vocal inflections.
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