Tailing

I walked for a good hour or before the road started to slope upwards. To my surprise, there was a toll gate at the top. The security here didn't seem lax, however. The number of guards could be said to have tripled and their solemn expressions suggested they took this matter seriously.

Luckily since it wasn't some sort of wall or gate I was able to easily walk past them. Once I did, I was right back into the city. The only difference was that the living conditions were much nicer than my current apartment. The buildings seemed to have more space overall and the streets were clean. There wasn't a suffocating sense of oppression.

This was most likely where the guards and other similar officials were living. I didn't pay much attention to this as I was now facing a new problem. Where am I supposed to unlock my phone?

I can assure you that Grounded mobile won't be doing me any favors.

So I simply kept on walking. There were occasionally people on the streets but no one took notice of me. This helped me snoop around quite a bit.

I eventually crossed another gate and the nice buildings were completely out of sight. The infrastructure also became more familiar to me inadvertently indicating the way home.

But that wasn't my goal. In the first place, I don't know what will happen to my apartment. I should be presumed dead after all.

The bustle in this area was non-existent. Every pedestrian was an abnormality, a strange sight. This aroused my suspicion. Some people seemed depressed and law-abiding while others seemed... seriously confident? I couldn't quite describe it but it was suspicious.

So I decided to walk closer, with no home, what did I have to lose? Something had to be giving them this confidence in such a bleak atmosphere and it just so happened I was in need of such confidence given my predicament.

There were two such confident people in an alley not too far from the main street and my house.

"Yo, I don't think anybody is coming by." Said one of the individuals to the other in a low voice. I was able to hear it however since I may as well be in front of them. Invisibility or just a lack of presence could be a powerful tool.

"Just be patient. We waited an extra 10 minutes and we can wait for another." The other man responded.

They were very suspicious, their words and behavior were like those of gang members. Some sort of shady deal had to be underway here. In that case, I might be able to get what I want. A black market was bound to have a phone unlocking service.

Of course, there is no evidence that these guys are part of a black market but the person they are dealing with might. Maybe I will be able to learn some sort of secret code like in the movies that I can tell a local bartender.

Maybe that's too unrealistic… Nevertheless, as I had nothing better to do I loitered near them for a bit. To my luck, It didn't take very long for something to actually happen.

"Good evening gentlemen." Said an averagely dressed man holding a briefcase to the two gangsters. The two men nodded in response. One of them went somewhere into the back alley and pulled out a tall bag.

"Here's the brew" Said the man carrying the bag. The average man simply took what I could only presume is alcohol and placed it inside of his briefcase.

"Well then. I wish you all a good night." The man said after receiving the goods and left the alley. He either had a bad sense of time or his words actually meant something. Regardless of the reason, I followed after him.

The man walked a couple more blocks before entering a two-way alley. He reached for something under a dumpster and pulled out a new briefcase. To my surprise, the man then ripped off his clothing revealing a different attire. He dumped the old clothing and then transferred the contents of the briefcase before exiting the other end of the alley.

What was really amazing was the man's attention to detail. The way he carried himself was entirely different after he switched clothing. Had I not been following closely behind I would have lost sight of him without a doubt.

The man did this same routine a couple more times before finally reaching a dead-end alley. By this point, I was many blocks away from my apartment. We had reached a hideous zone. The apartments could only be described as dilapidated and unsafe.

This alley was actually a sorry excuse for a road, many of the buildings had their entrances in it. I thought my apartment was already shabby enough but this area seemed even more sinister and dead. I suppose I failed to consider the true bottom rung of society. The jobless.

"Like a mole in the dirt we dig free." The man said after approaching a crappy looking door. It turns out there were secret codes!

The door promptly opened with a creak and the man silently entered. Before I had a chance to sneak in, the door was essentially shut in my face.

This was a problem… How am I supposed to get in then?

Repeating the same words was simply unwise without more information. There were two options, the first was to sneak in. My powers were tailored for this.

I exited the alley to get a better look at the poor looking building. It had 10 floors assuming I didn't miscount and some of those floors had windows. The most important part however was how this building was in direct contact with other buildings!

I should be able to climb one of the far-away buildings to successfully make my way inside. The second option was to wait around and see if the code was the same each time. This could work but... I want instant results. The latter was likely to get me that.

It was also worth noting that with my greater physical ability it was highly unlikely for me to face any danger. Sneaking in would also allow me to look at things at my own pace and without worrying about my cover being blown.

Alright, let's do it.