All three sides had their own plans, and Lucian's went into action right on schedule on Wednesday.
Outside the Brooklyn Community Center, crowds packed the streets solid. Vought International's security had set up three cordons. Reporters carrying cameras with long lenses crowded into the front row.
A banner reading "Translucent's first appearance since his return" hung overhead.
Lucian stood behind an electrical box on a street corner. His gaze passed over the bobbing heads and settled on the main entrance.
He wore a black baseball cap and a face mask, with a slightly disheveled wig obscuring his original outline. He had on a loose secondhand jacket.
His phone screen was lit up, displaying two chat windows in split-screen mode.
Annie's avatar flashed.
[I did it. At the Youth Rally just now.]
Lucian's thumbs flew over the keyboard.
[You didn't follow the teleprompter?]
[The teleprompter was full of bullshit thanking God and Vought. I changed all of it. I told them it was all a show, and that I was actually really lost.]
Irrepressible excitement came through from the other end of the screen.
[How did PR react?]
[Ashley nearly crushed the tablet in her hands. The audience went completely wild. They started cheering, and some even broke through the cordon. Those pastors they'd lined up looked absolutely livid, like they wanted to burn me alive on the spot. I still don't know what punishment I'll face when I get back.]
After a few seconds' pause, a new message popped up.
[But I feel amazing right now. I finally told the truth.]
[Maybe being genuine will send your approval rating soaring.]
After sending that, he switched to the other window.
Four or five messages from Cate had already piled up.
[You didn't come again today.]
[What exactly are you busy with? Those mysterious investigations?]
[I hate this feeling. Aren't we accomplices?]
Irritation seeped through her words.
[I've run into a little trouble I need to deal with.]
The reply came instantly.
[Are you hurt?]
[No. I just need to lie low for a while.]
[Where can we meet? I'll come to you.]
This prickly push and pull, with her unable to resist drawing closer, was moving at just the right pace.
[Not now. Once I finish what I'm working on, we'll meet at the usual place.]
"Typing..." appeared at the top of the chat several times before she replied with just one word.
[Okay.]
A roof-raising cheer erupted inside the community center.
"Translucent! Translucent!"
After seeing Translucent appear, Lucian locked his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
The doors opened wide, and a man walked out. He smiled and waved to the crowd, every gesture brimming with confidence and swagger.
But someone else was inside that skin.
Lucian didn't take out the VIP floor ticket Annie had given him. That ticket would put him straight into an area under close security and media attention and protection.
He turned toward a merchandise truck beside the venue, paid a hefty price for a hoodie bearing Translucent's logo and some merchandise, and pulled the hoodie straight over his jacket.
Then he blended into the line of ordinary fans.
The line was long, winding halfway around the venue. The people ahead stamped their feet excitedly and whispered among themselves. With both hands in his pockets, Lucian quietly shuffled along with the crowd.
His gaze remained fixed on the signing table.
"Translucent" was still working hard to entertain the fans. He deftly signed posters, shook hands, and posed for photos.
Two hours passed.
The line dwindled to the last dozen or so people.
There were three people ahead of him.
Two.
One.
"Next." A security guard waved impatiently.
Lucian stepped forward.
"Hey, buddy, thanks for your support." "Translucent" extended his right hand, his smile flawless.
Lucian reached out, and their hands clasped.
The System Panel popped up.
[Supe target detected: Doppelganger] [Available ability 1: Physical Mimicry LV4 (Can freely alter body shape, appearance, and sex, perfectly replicating the target's facial features, build, and voice; limited by time and clothing)] [Available ability 2: Super Physique LV1]
"Could I have a hug? I'm your most devoted fan."
"Translucent" paused, then spread his arms.
"Of course. Come here."
Lucian stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the other man's shoulders. His left hand slid upward, all five fingers pressing against the skin at the back of the man's neck.
The instant their skin touched, Mind Control LV3 activated.
Psychic power pierced Doppelganger's brain through Lucian's fingertips.
Lucian's mind raced, constructing a framework for the false memory.
I can't implant anything too complicated. It has to be simple and direct.
Madelyn. This woman's orders could make him disregard everything else.
The memory implantation began.
As soon as the event ends, go straight to the cabin at the Suburban Tree Farm. There's an extremely urgent classified mission. Lose all security and go alone. Remember, top secret.
Doppelganger's body shuddered violently.
Lucian let go and stepped back half a pace.
"Thank you. This means so much to me." Lucian lowered his head slightly.
"Translucent" seemed somewhat dazed now. He rubbed his temple.
"No problem... no problem. Thanks for your support." His words grew perfunctory, and his eyes began drifting toward the head of security.
Several fanatical fans nearby watched Lucian walk away, shooting him envious looks.
"He actually got a hug! I want one too!"
"Get out of the way! It's my turn!"
The crowd grew restless again, providing perfect cover for Lucian's retreat.
He turned and quickly merged into the departing crowd.
Step one complete. The hook is in place.
An abandoned tree farm on the outskirts of New York.
The cabin lay hidden deep within a dense forest of red pines. It was the abandoned ranger's residence he had found last time.
Lucian pushed open the rickety wooden door and walked inside.
A musty smell filled the air. Lucian remarked, "Just this one won't do. I've got money now anyway. I'll set up a few more safe houses later."
Lucian walked to the window and pushed it open a crack.
Two hours had passed since the fan meet-and-greet ended.
Doppelganger will definitely come. The implanted memory contains Madelyn's orders. He wouldn't dare be late even if he had ten times the nerve.
Lucian leaned against the corner and closed his eyes to rest.
Time ticked by.
Wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves.
Amid the jumble of ambient sounds, Lucian caught something unusual.
Footsteps.
The sharp snap of dry branches breaking, the scrape of fallen leaves being crushed.
Lucian opened his eyes, his body instantly tensing.
Something's wrong.
The rhythm of the footsteps is wrong.
That's not just one person's footsteps.
One set was heavy, hurried, and slightly stumbling. That was Doppelganger. Perhaps maintaining his transformation for so long had exhausted him.
And the other...
The other made barely any sound. Without Lucian's enhanced hearing, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
It was an almost perfect stealthy gait, shedding most of the weight as each foot touched down, just like a cat approaching its prey.
Someone was following Doppelganger.
Lucian pressed himself against the wall and slowly edged toward the window.
Rather than rashly peeking out, he used the reflection in a piece of broken glass on the window frame to observe the situation outside.
In his view, Doppelganger stumbled along in front. He had already dropped his Translucent disguise and returned to his original ordinary, even somewhat sleazy appearance. He clutched his chest, gasping for breath.
Less than ten meters behind Doppelganger, a black shape slipped out from behind a tree trunk.
The man was entirely clad in a black combat suit, his face covered by a fully enclosed black mask, with not a sliver of skin exposed.
He walked through shadows untouched by sunlight, his whole body blending into the darkness. The surrounding birdsong vanished completely the instant he appeared, and the entire forest fell deathly silent.
Black Noir.
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