SUPERWORLD

Toshiro X

"Yes." Ryu nodded.

"Got it!" Makoto exclaimed as the security panel beeped.

Toshiro heard heavy metal rods retract into the wall. Toshiro was the first through the door, checking around the corners before stepping in. All around him were servers and computers, all humming and beeping with green light. Toshiro looked around at the ceiling for security cameras or sensors. There were none.

They put a little too much faith in that door and panel, luckily.

Toshiro motioned for Ryusuke to follow him in and he walked off towards a door marked 'surveillance'. He told Makoto to hide and then opened it. Inside was a young man in uniform with red hair, he spun around in his swivel chair and looked at Toshiro with puzzlement.

"Relax," Ryusuke said, pulling out his wallet and opening it to the young man, making sure the badge was covered by his hand, showing only the very official-looking photo ID. "I'm with Qiánshuǐ Fènghuáng, here to do a maintenance check." Ryusuke explained in his best Chinese accent.

I think the accent was good, but I have almost no idea what he said, so I could've said the wrong words. This kid looks pretty dumb, though, I bet he thinks the badge is written in Chinese.

"Uhh...I—uh, wasn't made aware of any check." The young man said.

He wants to bite, but he's not sure...

"The owner of the building requested the check, you know wealthy people aren't the best communicators." Ryusuke added.

Toshiro found the waves coming from the young man's head and read his mind:

I wonder if Captain Noriega knows about these guys?

Bingo. I know 'captain' and I know when a rookie sounds scared.

"I talk Captain Noriega on phone this morning. I tell him because I think owner no say to captain." Toshiro said, not bothering to put on a different accent

"O—oh, ok, well, what do you need from me?" The young man asked.

"Go take an early lunch. Company policy demands that no one be present when we open up the hardware, it's a trade secret." Ryusuke explained.

"Right, ok. I'll be back in an hour, then?" He said.

"Two." Toshiro commanded, helping the young man out of his chair.

He got up, and awkwardly bowed to Toshiro and Ryusuke, they returned the favor, and he was gone. Makoto emerged from her hiding spot outside of the small room after the heavy metal door clicked shut again.

"That guy is totally going to get fired." She joked as she joined the two men in the small room that had only two filing cabinets, three swivel chairs, and a wall of monitors that had a massive console underneath that functioned as a desk.

"Can you get inside the systems and control them?" Toshiro asked, returning to the only language he spoke properly.

"No sweat, gramps. I'll just use the PDA to put the entire system in test mode, no passwords necessary. Then I'll control every door, camera, and sensor in the building. I should be able to find the Kageyama creep as well." Makoto said, her fingers already ablaze on the PDA after connecting it to the console.

Toshiro handed her a walkie-talkie with an earpiece, courtesy of the yakuza. He also handed one to Ryusuke.

"Everyone tune into channel four. If four goes down, switch to six. Radio us with the movements of the security guards and anyone else who might get in our way." Toshiro ordered.