The key to a good disguise was simplicity. Wigs and fake mustaches were a funny cliche but only plausible in limited scenarios. Hiding in plain sight was far more effective than most people believed.

Seated in the lobby, I watched the receptionist diligently typing away at her computer with a sense of familiarity. She was young, likely fresh out of college, but she had a level of professionalism that was hard to find in more experienced individuals.

I wanted to scratch my face but held back by pure willpower. One of the limbs I had collected in the past could change the color of anything it touched. My head was covered in a mop of dirty blonde locks, while my skin had a rugged tan. The hair wasn't an issue, but changing my skin color always made me uncomfortably itchy.

"Mr Adler." I met the receptionist's eyes when she addressed me, rose from my seat, and strolled over to her desk.

Since arriving in this city, I mostly interacted with people without trying to hide my face. The few times I'd used my powers were the only instances where I even attempted to cover up.

My entrance into the city unfortunately ended up giving a super a good look at my face, but without any pictures or recordings, they could only produce a sketch based on what he remembered. Luckily, I was average enough looking that the description of my features produced a drawing of an ordinary-looking man.

"Ms Gordon will see you now. This will give you access to preapproved areas past this point." She handed me a red keycard I quickly pinned to my jacket's lapel.

She explained with a flat tone that my guest pass was only valid for an hour. She went over all the rules, filled with hints of what could happen to me if I got caught attempting to sneak around restricted areas. Apparently, the possibility of being arrested was the least of my concerns.

"Take elevator 3 to the 17th floor. Someone will meet you there." After delivering her instructions, she promptly returned to her work.

"Thank you." I flashed a smile while pushing up my glasses.

Jeanie had handled the alterations to my ID. My current disguise was now officially how Morgan Adler looked. I decided it was time to split my identity between a secret civilian cover and my more heroic one as part of Pawn.

Henry already knew me as Morgan Adler, but I wasn't planning to use the persona for much anyway. I'd make sure to have Jeanie set me up a couple more identities in case I ever needed a backup.

Elevator 3 shined from meticulous polishing, allowing my reflection to stare back at me from its doors. Capitalizing on its mirror-like surface, I carefully combed over my appearance one last time before confidently pressing the keycard into the scanner.

The doors effortlessly slid open within seconds, granting me smooth entry into the empty car without encountering any hassle. I pressed the button for the 17th floor, then stood there patiently. The ride was quick, and I arrived sooner than expected. A familiar face was waiting to greet me.

"Hi, Morgan." The blonde android smiled and waved, gesturing me forward.

The face hadn't changed much from the last time I saw one of Lisa's mechanical creations, but she had opted for a shorter hairstyle this time. Her clothes had seen some alterations. The bodysuit went from blue to gray, and now it was sleeveless, showing off those beautiful shoulders.

My eyes swept the area around us but found no other people in sight. It would raise a few eyebrows if anyone saw Lisa acting so welcoming to some unknown attending a job interview. Jeanie must have cleared the area as safe to drop our disguises.

"I have an interview with Ms Gordon." I stayed in character to test the waters.

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"Don't worry, no one can spy on us here. This whole floor belongs to Lisa, and she kept some tight security." She paused to smirk confidently. "At least, to any other super."

I smiled back at her. "You're enjoying this too much."

Shaking my head, I stepped past her to get a look at my surroundings. The space around me seemed purposefully designed to entertain guests, exuding an inviting atmosphere. The decor was a harmonious blend of warm tones and tasteful furnishings, with plush cushions adorning the seating areas. Soft, ambient lighting illuminated the carefully arranged furniture and artful decorations.

It was mildly jarring to walk off an elevator into what appeared to be a lounge. The attention to detail was evident in every corner, from the carefully curated artwork on the walls to the subtle fragrance that lingered in the air.

"Who designed this place?" I had to ask. It was almost suffocatingly inviting.

"Lisa has touched on many fields of super science. This was one of her earlier works." Jeanie walked up beside me, looking over the room.

"Interior design?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Jeanie crossed her arms and nodded.

"She merged the abilities of two low-grade supers. One of them could create amazing massage chairs, and the other crafted devices that altered moods." She shrugged. "It was a starter project that she keeps coming back to whenever she's stressed."

I took another glance around the room before deciding to turn away.

"Are you ready for this?" Putting the room out of mind, I figured it was time to dive into today's topic.

"I've got everything set up." She shot back a reply and casually strolled away, making it pretty obvious she wanted me to tag along.

After my chat with Rex yesterday, I gave Jeanie a call, and we decided to meet up today. We had a bunch of things to discuss, but dealing with the Snow Gang was at the top of the list. Meanwhile, Jeanie had already started casting out some feelers, trying to dig up a little dirt on Henry for me.

"You sure about this? I know it makes you uncomfortable." Jeanie attempted to throw me a lifeline, offering a chance to bail, but I was all in and sticking to this path.

"It'd be pretty dumb of us to give up on a potential lead without even trying." I took her silence as acceptance of my decision.

The farther we moved from the welcoming area, the more the hallway shifted into a simpler, minimalistic design. The walls were this dull gray, and the floor was just plain stone with zero personality. Then there were these bright fluorescent lights, making sure every inch of the corridor was on full display, so I had all the time in the world to take in the blandness of it all.

"The cell should be able to hold a low-level super, but we probably could have used a broom closet." She shrugged as we came upon a door.

A few swift swipes on the keypad let us into a rather fascinating room adorned with monitors that blended into the walls. Each one was currently blank but ready for our use. The space, though almost entirely devoid of furnishings, featured a conspicuous transparent box situated at its center, nearly the size of a small car. The solitary item of furniture within this barren setup was a simple wooden stool placed inside the transparent cube.

"He won't actually be able to do anything, so you're right. This is all for show. He needs to believe his capture is real." I told her.

I strolled toward the cube, covering a bit of ground before pausing and thoughtfully turning back to Jeanie. It hit me suddenly, something that had somehow slipped through the cracks of my new daily life. While trying to manage the ins and outs of our situation, I completely overlooked the most fundamental part of being a leader. A realization that brought me back to Jeanie with a question I'd forgotten to ask.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Jeanie looked at me questioningly. She had just begun setting the scene by bringing up phony biometric data on the monitors around the cell.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" She turned her full attention to me.

Straightening out my face into a serious expression, I continued. "I haven't stopped to see how you are holding up after everything that's happened."

My team followed me into many dangerous situations, and I always made a point to talk with each one after a mission. Everyone needed time to decompress and relieve some stress. I found a simple chat could really help most people.

Jeanie took a second to consider my words. She tilted her head back and forth in thought before finally answering.

"I used to spend a lot of my free time digging into our government sponsors." She looked at me with a tight expression. "Whenever we got a new one, I'd stay out of my body for entire days at a time, trying to learn everything I could."

Extending her hand toward me, a blue spectral version separated for a moment before merging back together.

"I always felt trapped after returning to my real body. I was scared to stay away for too long but dreaded the return nearly as much. When I leave my body, it's like shedding a weight that most people don't realize they're carrying. There's this profound sense of liberation." She nodded as if agreeing with her previous statement.

"Everything may have changed, but I feel more alive than ever." She smiled. "I'm happy."

Her joy was infectious. I didn't even try to hold back my own grin.

"That's the best news I've heard in a hundred years." I chuckled.