(Edited with Grammarly on 11/13/25, praying for my poor grammar skills)
Normally, cleaning had always been a very strenuous and monotonous task. Something done while shutting off one's mind and just allowing their own body to initiate that pseudo autopilot mode. It didn't matter if it was doing the dishes, sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming. Once a groove was set, it was easy as could be to just continue forward until the work was done. Leaving them sore and relieved, it was done. Or maybe one could feel a sense of fulfillment at a difficult task finally being out of the way.
Albert could never hope to understand those types of people who cleaned as a form of relaxation, but maybe this feeling of victory that filled him was at least somewhat close. After all, half an hour of sweeping and mopping had earned him a rather hefty reward.
Just looking down at the heavily marked map in his hands was proof enough of that. This wasn't the era of GPSs at a mere tap of the finger; anything pertaining to getting around all had to be done by hand or word of mouth. A real pain that was only made a little less inconvenient with that feeling of something turning within him. Maybe like a gut feeling or as if his body was a ship and something was steering a wheel in his subconscious to guide him through these murky waters. Navigating had quickly become a necessity ever since waking up in this labyrinth of a city. With all its old streets, forgotten back alleys, and decrepit buildings, trying to travel without possessing years of experience was like asking to be targeted as a rare tourist and robbed of all his Earthly possessions.
[Navigate: 24%]
And with how high it had gotten, using the information in that little black notebook to actually find out where the Circuit's headquarters was had only taken time. Primarily, it had been the city's street naming practices that had slipped him up at first. Or more importantly, the fact that a lot of the more urban maps didn't possess anything more than the major lanes and districts. In fact, most of the maps outright left these small sections of the past completely barren, and it wasn't something uncommon either. Instead, they just lumped them all together into the giant mass known as Downtown Gotham. So, trying to find a single unnamed street in the middle of a massive district had been a rather mind-bending experience.
A quick trip to the library after so long had been required, and through some old maps, he'd finally been able to pinpoint the actual location of the Circuit. Or at least where the upper echelons were doing business.
Forcing the map deep into his pocket, he actually took a good 'casual' glance at the playing field. It was multiple blocks surrounded by all sides by the waking remnants of Gotham's nightlife. A few clubs with their neon signs dimmed as much as they could as staff shuffled back and forth as they tried to get themselves ready for business. The few bussers hauling trash out to fill overstuffed dumpsters, a grumble on their lips as they wiped away thin layers of sweat from their brows.
Some even snuck a smoke break after kicking their trash nearby and called it a day. Not that he could blame them, if a coffee shop's garbage was heavy, then a bar or club's must be something that might actually crack a few spines.
Walking past them, he pulled more heavily on that ethereal cloak and slipped just outside of their range of view with confidence oozing off every step. Whether it was from them inhaling a massive puff of smoke or gathering a few breaths as they finally heaved those massive and straining bags into the dumpsters, the best they could do. Even those who did spot him barely gave him a passing glance before looking off into the distance as they lost themselves in their own thoughts.
Confidence was the key to this. If he were nervous or appeared unsure or even lost, there would be no end of people either paying extra close attention to him or, as rare as it was in this city, approaching with the intent to help.
Head held high, he continued forward. Turning down an old and decrepit alleyway, his muscles bunched as he darted down into a crouch. Ignoring the near black sludge squishing beneath his shoe and the foul smell trying its best to test his olfactory nerve's sensitivity, he crept forward with all the care of a thief up to no good. Slowly, using one hand to steady himself against uneven brickwork, he finally got close enough to the alley mouth to get a good look.
If the previous street looked somewhat abandoned, what was on the other side looked downright like a ghost town. Buildings leaning heavily to one side, windows boarded up with long, faded graffiti, and a street so cracked it was obvious this part of the city had fallen victim to an official scrapping a bit too much off the top.
'Look at those potholes.'
Calling them 'potholes' didn't seem quite accurate; those massive holes were more akin to a multitude of ponds reaching out to try and form a small lake right in the middle of the street. Or more realistically, it was better to call it a sinkhole waiting to happen. The city would need to get on this if it didn't want a brand new entrance into the sewer on its hands.
Putting that tragedy waiting to happen to the back of his mind, those muddy brown eyes unfocused a bit as he caught movement in the non-boarded-up windows from the building across from him. A large shadow filled the space for a split moment before it disappeared beyond the frame. Pushing himself up close against the corner, he waited on bated breath. Keeping his eyes trained on the more 'alive' part of the city while his ears strained to pick up even the tiniest of sounds.
As his muscles began to let their displeasure be known, something finally happened.
"…"
It was a voice, muffled and low, but a voice nonetheless.
"…"
Another voice joined their companion, followed by a third, along with the sound of boots clomping across old concrete and clattering rocks skittering across the ground before slamming into massive puddles with an audible splash.
Slowly edging his head across the boundary line, three figures instantly caught his attention. Looking like common thugs, they wore baggy clothing that barely concealed a gun jammed into the front of their pants. Their large overcoats probably would've done a better job at hiding those iron hammers if only they had actually zipped or buttoned them up.
Just catching sight of armed thugs was enough for him to subconsciously feel for that bit of cold steel pressed up tight to his ribs. Its frigidness was as comforting as a dim fireplace in the middle of a winter cabin in that moment.
While he wasn't completely helpless then, that didn't mean he was all too keen at the idea of having anything to do with a firefight. Three against one, no matter how much more skilled he might be, was not great odds.
'I wonder if there are any paintball spots here?' What he needed then wasn't just a shooting range to help increase his accuracy, but experience of being both shot at and dishing it out. Sure, using a paintball gun wouldn't be the same, but just being able to actually use his skills in a safe...safe-ish environment without risk of him bleeding on the street somewhere was something he desperately needed. 'I wonder if Marceline knows of any? That seems like something her group would be interested in.'
Ripping himself out of that internal spiral, he eyed the small group swaggering down the street. Their path meandered, but it was clear that they would pass him eventually, and if that were to happen, there wasn't anywhere he could really hide behind in that alley. As there wasn't even a dumpster or trash can for him to huddle behind like a sort of shelter. At that point, even if he were to stand as still as a statue, all it would be would be a single passing glance to spot him. Especially with how early in the afternoon it was.
He could retreat. Come back under the cover of night and try his hand then….but with how many clubs and bars were practically surrounding this small block, he was sure security would increase exponentially just to deal with the flux of inebriated clientele. That and, by then, it would be so much easier for some drunk to accidentally stumble across him, creeping around and making things tougher on him. All it would take was a drunken 'what the hell are you doing' to ruin everything.
And maybe it would be easier to blend in as a drunk with him, if he was caught at night...but that was if these guards actually gave a damn about that before giving him a thorough beating to act as a warning for even those that were high on amber courage.
Now was the best time to get his feet on the ground. Albert could feel that in his gut.
'I just need to get into one of these buildings and I'll be fine.'
With how short and skinny he was, finding a hiding spot would be a breeze. But no matter how good a spot he chose, all of it would be for naught if he just tried sprinting for the closest building like a roach.
So for now, he stood deathly still. Not even daring to breathe as his gaze unfocused once more, he waited. And waited as they swaggered ever so closer before he saw them stop before the building on his left, and with how close they were now, hearing them had become a much more achievable goal.
"We don't gotta check everyone." One of them explained. "They ain't paying me enough to check every single one, I don't want to get gutted by some crackhead."
"Won't they get mad?" Another asked, their voice rough and unsure. A moment of silence passed before they continued. "That...that we're not checking every building?"
"Why would they?" The last voice snorted, this one higher-pitched. "They think we're checking every building...so why should we tell them any different? It's not that they're paying us to risk our lives."
"But…"
"Fine!" The first voice exclaimed in exasperation."If you're gonna bitch about it, then go ahead and check this one!"
"…." The smoker coughed lightly, momentarily quiet before speaking up once more with a softer voice. "Alone? I don't mind...but what if there's a crackhead in there?"
"See if she got teeth or not." One of them crassly guffawed. "If she doesn't, then she's gonna suck you dry."
"And her crazy boyfriend is gonna gut you while you're lost in gummy heaven before robbing you blind." The first voice sighed, before continuing. "Look, we'll all go in. But I'm telling you, there's nothing in there. Watch."
He could hear a door creak open just next door and the sound of three pairs of footsteps file into the building, before even that old wooden door slung closed. Voices muffled through cheap drywall and crumbling bricks, Albert knew this was his moment. Peaking his head out of the alley, he looked down each end of the dead street before turning to his right, only to come face to face with a very unwelcoming sight.
The door was boarded closed with multiple two-by-fours, making it impossible for anyone to enter. And now with that fire under him, turning back was no longer a choice. Who knew when those three would be done doing their walk-through? Putting on the jets, he turned left this time and crouched past the building the trio were in and tried his luck on the other side. After all, with the direction they were going, even if he couldn't find a hiding spot inside, it would at least take them a while to get back to him….if their patrol actually had a pattern.
Dropping low, he could hear the sound of faint boots thumping through the building behind him. Trying to hug close to the surface just in case any of them had the bright idea to look out the window just then, and continued on his way. Sweat clung to his shirt, breath coming in heavy as he skulked away like some sort of cartoon thief. That violin was playing a suspenseful tune in the background. At any moment, he expected those three to come out and spot him mid-step. For that tune to freeze in place for a few heart-stopping seconds before he would turn and flee, thus sparking the chase of his lifetime.
Not an ideal outcome.
It would simply be better if no one ever found him in the beginning. So, after slinking past another boarded-up storefront, he finally came across somewhere that wasn't locked up so tightly. A small two-story residential building that looked like it could've maybe housed around four to five people. Its exterior wasn't any different from every other building in that wasteland; its front door was even boarded up. But just as he was prepared to toss this aside as yet another bust, a single detail caught his attention.
While the door might've been inoperable, the small hole on the side of the building was perfectly fine for him to squeeze into with his thin frame. So getting down on all fours, he crawled through the small opening with some care. Trying to avoid having all that rumble come tumbling down on him, he wriggled through to the dark and dank building. Dust filled every inch of that room. Once undisturbed, just his breathing in that air was enough for there to be evidence of occupation. Especially with his shoes leaving behind visible prints in that thick layer.
'Good thing I have my salt on me.' Just glancing around at the furniture covered in dirty white sheets, it was like he'd stepped right foot first into a horror movie. And that eerie quiet didn't do anything to help ease that feeling in the slightest. But with his handy packets of salt and Marian Gran's Broach, he should surely have a chance against anything spiritual… Right? 'Maybe I should visit Marceline after this is done.'
Shaking those thoughts away, he ran his fingers across the wall as he made his way towards the boarded-up window. With those slim beams of light forcing themselves between those slats, he got a pretty good look outside. To no one's surprise, there was nothing of interest. Just another deserted street. Not letting that stop him, he leaned up against the wall and settled himself up to wait.
In times like these, he really wished he'd brought a book with him or something. Or even better, wished for his era of the internet to be a thing. Instead of this dial-up stuff, which only led to awful-looking websites that focus solely on utility rather than anything else. No sleek designs, no user-friendly tools, or anything. Just text on a black or white screen.
But more importantly, he missed being able to just pull up hour-long videos on his phone about random topics and enjoy being a part of something for even a small bit of time.
Now, with only those memories to keep him company, he was shaken out of his reminiscing after what felt like an hour when something of substance happened.
From one corner, a group of men numbering around four began to make their way down the street.
'At least two patrol groups.'
A rather concerning and important fact. Meaning his infiltration will have to take into account both of these groups, and if he could find out exactly how long each patrol was, then it should be achievable to slip between them towards his goal.
As this thought was flying through his mind, an icy hand gripped at his heart, and without a second thought, he slowly slid below the window seal before crab walking deeper into the living room and falling onto his belly behind one of the covered couches. Lying as still as possible, he heard sudden footsteps stomp outside on the deck and saw that beam of light being consumed by a bulky shadow.
Heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears, he lay there in silence as the shadow moved from the end of the gaped boards to the other.
"What is it?"
A deep but muffled voice asked as another shadow joined the first.
"I thought I saw something." The cause of his near heart attack murmured, voice higher-pitched a mighty bit nasally.
"Maybe it was a ghost?" The second shadow joked, their figure completely subsuming the remaining beams of light. "Looks like something out of a horror movie...but seriously, the door is all boarded up. If there's anything in there, it's going to be a raccoon, a possum, or something."
"…." Albert's heartbeat ramped up a few degrees as a flood of scenarios came slamming into him. Would they break the window in to check? Take a crowbar to get inside? If three on one was impossible enough, hoping to stand his ground against four people was simply wishful thinking. Frigid sweat caused his shirt to cling to him like glue, lungs aching as he held his breath. In fear of letting out even a peep. But soon, the beams of light returned as the shadows moved out of the way. "Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me-"
Suddenly, a heavy blow slammed against the boards with so much force that they struck out and shattered the fragile glass. Filling the whole floor with glinting shards. Biting down hard on his lip, he could taste iron almost immediately as he forced down that scream threatening to escape.
He saw that same shadow consume those beams of light as they pressed themselves up against the space between those boards.
"What the fuck was that for?!" The second person angrily exclaimed, a sound of a fist slamming into flesh made itself known. "You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!"
"…." He knew if he dared to peek over that couch, there would be a pair of narrowed eyes glaring a hole into the darkness as they darted around the empty room in hopes of finding whatever had caught their eye. With a growl, the sound of boots stomping away with a huff entered his ears. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."
"You're telling them you broke the -"
The twin voices faded away, leaving him with nothing but the all-encompassing noise of his heart thumping wildly in his ears. His lungs were nearly audibly wheezing as he took in streams of fresh air.
For what felt like an hour, he lay there behind that couch as he tried to collect himself. And only after he felt like his breakfast wasn't going to come up, did he dare to crawl away from the couch. Staying low, he made his way out of view of the window before pushing his back against a nearby wall.
'That's enough for today.'
***
That was how the next three days went for Albert. Getting up and sneaking into that cluster of abandoned blocks, figuring out the patrol patterns while digging deeper into the Circuit's territory. While it hadn't gotten any easier, close calls like those from the first day had become a very rare occurrence.
As he went deeper, something made itself known very quickly after he went closer by a single block. The guards became a lot more thorough as it got closer to their headquarters, and that laziness from before diminished.
And now, after slipping past another patrol as they were searching a nearby building, he found himself crouched in an alley. Gaze eyeing that lone corner, he slowly peered over once before retreating.
'That's not good.'
There was both good news and exceedingly bad news.
Good news: He finally got a glance at the Circuit's headquarters. A lone office building that stood out amongst its compatriots by the fact that it was actually somewhat renovated. Not a fresh layer of paint or anything, but with brand new windows and visible black curtains. And because of that fact, it stuck out like a sore thumb. And best of all, it was only a few buildings down from where he was now.
But as for the bad news….there were stationed guards at the building's entrance. Two people dressed in cheap-looking suits that hung off their shoulders in a way that pointed towards them being untailored. But that in itself wasn't odd; this organization liked to portray itself as something high-class when it was obvious they weren't. Instead, it was the visible firearms strapped to their side.
And unlike the previous guards, these sentries looked completely dedicated to their job. Even from the short little peak, it was clear they were used to standing around looking scary while keeping an eye out. Also, with how close they were, trying to get into one of the neighboring buildings would be an effort of futility. Just stepping out once would be enough to earn him a chest full of lead.
Peaking once more, he found yet more bad news. There, coming his way was a group of five guards that at least tried to look uniform. Their guns strapped firmly to the side, flashlights hanging, and what looked to be walkie-talkies on their chest.
If that wasn't worrying enough, he watched them go through every single house in a very orderly fashion. Four went in while one stayed outside to act as a lookout. Destroying his usual tactic of sneaking in while no one was looking.
'I'm going to have to look for another way through.'
Retreating further into the alley, he quickly fell back into the much safer 'ring' and snuck into another building to think in peace. It was clear he would have to go around. Maybe around the block just to make sure he was out of sight of those sentries. But also, he would need to be ahead of or behind that patrolling band of guards by a good margin.
That in itself brought its own set of problems. He, for one, wanted to have a constant view of their headquarters. Something he couldn't do if he were stuck in a building around the block. Things would be a lot simpler if he were at least within three buildings of their headquarters.
'It might be better to wait until night.'
But that also had its own downsides. Without a good spot to post up at, waiting around for hours on end was like asking for him to get caught. He would get bored and lazy, slipping up during one of their routine walk-throughs, and that's all it would require.
And unlike those high-flying peak humans, climbing to the roof wasn't much of an option. He possessed no grappling hook or claws meant to aid his ascent.
That left him with only a handful of options. None of that was all too appealing to him.
'The basements.'
Just thinking of that sent a shiver of dread down his spine. If there had been one area of every single building he'd avoided going down into, it was the basements. Sneaking through an abandoned structure was already spooky enough, but daring to descend into its basement was like asking for some creepy supernatural entity to swoop in and whisk him away.
But, if anything, he knew that sentiment was felt by every single passing patrol he encountered as well. At least in the outer rings, none of them checked the basements at all. So, not only would he have an advantage in terms of time, but if there were any structural damage leading into the neighboring building, it would be in the basement.
'I'll check through floors first and save that option as an absolute last resort.'
Call him a scaredy cat; he just really did not want to go into the basement. Hell, if it were possible, going through the sewers would've been more preferable!
And thus began his grand search, from on high to down low. He checked every single room and wall, testing them all, only to come up empty. With no other option, the teen began to descend into the inky black depths. Stairs creaked loudly in his ears as he tried to creep down them. With one hand to guide him, he flipped open his phone to use the flashlight to give him a better view. He resisted the urge to flinch as swarms of...something quickly scattered under the harsh light. Those skittering legs were deafeningly loud in the silence.
Putting that aside, he leaned down and scanned the small room. Brick lined the interior, visible piping, and evidence of early residence are still present. A defunct washing machine and dryer that probably wouldn't be worth anything even as scrap, but that wasn't what caught his eye.
There, on the far end of the room, near the corner, there was a small opening. Getting closer and crouching, he spotted a clear-ish 'tunnel' leading to the other basement. It would be a close fit, but if he wriggled a certain way, it should be possible.
'I feel like one of those cave explorers.'
He just hoped his fate wouldn't be turned into a joke for the internet to point at. Falling on his stomach, Albert began to carefully crawl his way through the tunnel. Feeling rough rock scrape against his back, and dirt smudge into his forearms. He resisted the urge to take in that dusty and confined air. After what felt like a lifetime, the teen finally made it to the other side.
Lying there, with his head resting in the crook of his arm, he took in heavy, dust-filled air. Feeling those layers of constricting earth unwrap their grip. Only allotting himself that small window of reprieve, he rose quickly to his feet and listened closely to the silence above him.
No matter how he strained, there was nothing other than his heavy breathing that broke the stillness. Ascending those creaky and distrustful stairs, he slowly crawled back up to the surface. All too eager to get out of that oppressive dark below. Slipping past the hanging door, he found himself in an old and dilapidated kitchen. Its lone window was boarded up, allowing only thin streams of light into the eerie room. On his left, a hallway led him into a pretty small living room with not even a single piece of furniture to shield him. All in all, it looked almost identical to a lot of buildings he'd 'visited' that week. But if there was one difference, it was the complete lack of dust on the hardwood floor. Not as if someone had cleaned up, no, but from the near constant stream of footprints that clearly showed the common route in which these guards searched.
'How nice of them.'
Frankly, leaving behind evidence had been one of his primary concerns when skulking through. If someone ever found something, then that would almost immediately cut off that avenue of both entry and escape. So, what he had been doing after breaking through the outer ring was purposefully walking in preexisting footprints in hopes of lessening the chances of his being discovered by a large margin.
It seemed that this group, in their thoroughness, had in fact made things a lot easier on him.
Creeping forward, he spared the boarded-up windows only a passing glance. The slits were far too thin for him to glean anything of note without pressing himself up against their surface. Instead, he quickly found another set of stairs leading up and ascended further into the building.
Once at the top, Albert looked down at the long hallway that seemed to twist in his vision. Multiple rooms lined either side, their doors missing or propped up to the side. Going down each, he counted one full bathroom, one other bathroom connected to what seemed to be the master's bedroom, with two other slightly smaller rooms across the hall from each other.
Overall, it seemed like some pretty quaint living arrangement for a family of three to four. And if he had a choice, he would rather set up the master bedroom as his stakeout spot. He possessed both more room to stretch his limbs out, but also the fact that it gave him a perfect view of both the street and of the Circuit's headquarters without him having to strain his neck. Through the slats on one of the windows, he could easily look down to see those sentries along with the patrolling guards.
From even that short glance, he could tell that they'd already passed his position and were now searching the buildings further down the street. The lone guard acted as a lookout as their compatriots searched. He had time to better scope out his environment, and so before anything else, there was a need to secure a hiding spot when the next group did their sweep.
Peeking his head into the master bathroom, he used his flashlight to get a good look at the place. As large a walk-in closet, there was a cracked bathtub with old, yellowish stains in a splashing pattern around its interior. Hopefully, just water stains. The place where a toilet should be is only a single rusted pipe sticking out of the cracked tile floor. A slight square-shaped inscription was inscribed against the surface. Besides that, a heavily damaged sink stood with decrepit handles and nozzles. Its wooden cabinet looked as fragile as could be. As though a heavy slam of its twin doors would cause the whole thing to come tumbling down.
Gently opening one door, he angled his flashlight and spotted something both relieving and anxiety-inducing. There was a hole through the dry wall itself, deep enough for him to force his body into it, but only his lower half.
'Trying to go any deeper would turn this place into my grave.' From how the hole was angled, he really didn't think he could get himself out if he tried to fully hide behind the drywall itself. He would need to leave at least his head exposed if he wanted to avoid having the worst happen. But either way, it was going to be an incredibly tight fit. Maddeningly so. Just thinking of being crammed into that small space was more than enough for him to break out into goosebumps. 'Let's hope I don't need it.'
With his backup plan secured, he went back over to the window and peered down through those slats. Watching those twin guards stand ramrod straight, looking more like statues than people, was just as entertaining as watching paint dry. Nonetheless, he settled himself in to wait.
And wait he did, for the next fifteen minutes, there was nothing to do but watch the scant shadows behind those dark curtains flutter from one to another. In that time, he saw those two guards move exactly three separate times. They either scratch at their brow, yawn, or check their watches.
'Riveting.'
Just as he was prepared to get back to doing exactly nothing, something caught his attention. From one end of the street, a new patrolling group turned the corner. And despite them being a good three houses away, he already decided to preemptively struggle into his hiding spot. After all, what else was going to do? Dumbly watch them search for the next fifteen to twenty minutes? Besides, if he needed to make some noise to get into place, it would be better to do so when they were so far away.
So, after opening up the cabinet door, he got down on all fours and slowly slid himself legs first into the hole. His pants caught on the jagged wood inside, his shoes scrapping audibly across the edges, and just as his feet passed, all his momentum stopped at once. Twisting his ankle flat, more of his body shimmied inside until it was like he was sitting sideways in a chair, the rough surface digging deeper into his side, cold metal jabbing him.
'This must look so weird...or maybe terrifying?'
It was easy for Albert to imagine some unlucky guard opening this door only to see half of a body come crawling out of the wall itself. And with his rather ghoulish appearance, it was a toss-up if he would receive a scream or a surprised bullet to the head. Just as he closed the cabinet door, the clawing darkness made itself known. Forced into that oh so tight space with not even enough room to shift anything below his waist in place. The silence was nearly deafening; it all struck out at him with extreme prejudice. Sinking him further into that place worse than hell itself. Something hammered against those mental walls, its cries so very familiar. Laughter ech-
Instantly, he forced the door open. Letting in even those minute streams of white to act as his one anchor to this reality. Let his mind descend further into memories he'd purposefully forced into the darkest corner of his subconscious to never see the light of day.
'Maybe I should've found a different spot.' But by now, it was probably much too late. With how much time it took to jam himself in there, he really didn't expect much; they'd be too far behind. Trying to find somewhere else to hide would only be asking for trouble. 'I'll just keep this door open until they actually get here.'
A compromise for both his goal and sanity.
And if he thought he was going to be waiting long, then he would've been greatly disappointed. After what didn't even feel like ten minutes, the front door opening could be heard. Soon followed by multiple pairs of heavy footsteps. From upstairs, he could tell they split off almost immediately. Two stayed downstairs while two stomped their way up.
Stealing his mind, he gently closed the cabinet door and waited. He counted internally as he fought against the rising terror in his chest. A panic attack is soon on the horizon. Forcing himself to stay as still as a statue, he didn't even dare to breathe as those heavy footsteps echoed through the floor.
They were thorough. Zealous, almost, if their slow and methodical movement was anything to go by. They went through every single room, checking every knick-knack and cranny before moving on to the next. He felt a bit secure in his hiding spot, confidence warring against that dread gnawing at his bones. Up until he heard a cabinet door being closed shut in the other bathroom.
'Why would you search in the cabinets?!' From their perspective, there should be no way for anyone to be hiding out in somewhere so small, and they should just do a cursory search before moving onto areas where people could actually hide. 'Did someone catch me? Did someone find evidence of me snooping around?!'
Suddenly, that hiding spot didn't feel so safe anymore. In fact, it felt more like a prison than ever. And that iron grip of control began to slip, breathing becoming more and more difficult as those footsteps grew closer.
In all this, at least there was one piece of good news. The clawing darkness no longer felt so oppressive as he was nearly blinded by a beam of harsh light that leaked through the seal as the guard scanned the room.
'Please be lazy.'
It was a whimpering thought, a wish the universe was all too eager to ignore. His heart tightened as he heard them grow closer, saw that harsh beam scan over his spot multiple times. But despite everything, hope didn't fully leave him in his darkest of moments, and carefully he reached into the opposing darkness with his eyes shut tightly before flexing that ethereal muscle. Allowing Resourceful to do its reality warping magic.
[LCK: 35/45]
All at once, he could feel those grains of providence leap out from his hand in a massive clawing formation. Running along just above his skin, they clashed and stacked atop each other as they snaked out into the depths.
Fingers met something warm and furry, freezing in place just as he did, but with that beam of light zeroed in on his hiding spot, Albert didn't have any other choice but to grab the stunned creature and force it forward.
The rat squeaked in terror just as his fingers left its body, and without hesitation, it pushed the cabinet door open a crack and skittered away,
"Good god almighty!!"
The guard shrieked, jumping audibly away from the scurrying vermin, their flashlight going wide. Another pair of footsteps came storming their way. A deep but distinctively feminine voice spoke in a hushed manner.
"What happened?!"
"Just a rat." They replied, letting out a breath. "A big one, too, like almost the size of my forearm...Let's just go. I feel like I just lost three years off my life."
With that, the two quickly departed. Those footsteps clomped as they went downstairs to meet up with their group before leaving the building together.
He let out that held breath all at once, sweat dripping down his temple as his heart thumped wildly. Not even waiting a good five minutes, he began to wriggle himself out of that death trap of a spot.
With the fact that they would, in fact, check the cabinets, forcing himself into a claustrophobic-inducing area surrounded by inky darkness wasn't something he was willing to do. So, without caring a lick about how uncomfortable it was, he finally found himself out of that tomb while leaning heavily against that sink counter. Taking in large mouthfuls of air, he tried to ease his rattled nerves.
'I need to go somewhere else to hide. Anything would be better than going through...that again.'
Despite wanting to just curl into a ball, he knew this reprieve was only temporary and needed to get a move on. So with one final breath, he straightened his spine and began to look.
While scanning through the hallway once more, a small cord caught his attention. Craning his head up, he saw it connected to a small hatch. Jumping, he yanked one cord and was a bit surprised as a ladder sprang itself free. Expelling a massive plume of dust that fell to the ground, completely covering the footprints. Something he could not abide by, and only after stepping around enough to make it look like there had been a search previously, did he dare to ascend into the attic above.
Normally, there were two areas of note to avoid in any abandoned house. The basement and the attic are both for the same purpose. If the building was haunted, it was safe to assume that the source was probably in either location. Just a single look was almost enough for him to throw in the towel and try somewhere else. With a few boxes here and there, rotted over and everything, it didn't look like anyone had been up there in years.
A lone beam of light led him to an unboarded-up window, as it had stationary wooden blinds over its surface. And through those slits, he had an excellent view of both the street and the headquarters.
'Jackpot.'
Sure, there was some creaking when he stepped across the old flooring, but as long as he stayed quiet, no one would ever know he was up there. That alone caused him to go back and pull the ladder back up with an audible click.
Settling himself in, he got ready to sit there for as long as it took for him to completely memorize their patrol pattern while also noting down anything else of value.
***
'Five-forty A.M.' Albert looked down with bleary eyes, exhausted, clawing at his mind. But despite that, a massive smile spread across his cracked lips. Triumphant and maybe even a bit mad.
(A/N: Almost 7k words this week! At first I was going to separate this up into two parts, but I really wanted to tie up the recon in one chapter. Also I wasn't really sure if I should've actually written the library visit, I might do so later but for now it's being relegated to the background. Next chapter is going to be the actual infiltration of the Circuit! I have no idea how long it's going to be but I will try to keep it all within one chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed and I will see you guys next week!)