Bruce waited in the parking garage of GothCorp for his opportunity to slip past building security. Overall, the defense of the building was fairly solid, but he'd identified a few weak points he intended to exploit. Primarily, the parking garage was poorly lit, dark shadows and blind corners giving him ample places to avoid being seen while making his approach. Security cameras had wide fields of vision, but they were too far apart, their limited range preventing them from detecting Bruce as he slipped from one shadow to another.

Standing beside a concrete pillar holding up the next level of the parking structure, Bruce watched for his opening. The janitorial team hired to clean the building was scheduled to arrive at any moment.

Bruce had actually visited the parking garage the previous night to do some reconnaissance. He'd checked the layout and discovered the weaknesses in security he could exploit to breach the building's defenses. Also while he'd been here, Bruce had spotted the janitorial crew coming in, taking numerous photos and detailed notes. He'd discovered the name of the company GothCorp had contracted to clean the building, the type of uniforms they wore, and he'd even managed to get close enough to take a picture of their ID badges without being noticed.

While Alfred had used his skills as a former British agent to forge an ID badge, Bruce had put on a disguise and went to purchase a cleaning jumpsuit like the ones the janitorial crew wore. Thankfully, they lacked any kind of company logo on the jumpsuits, so Bruce didn't have to add anything special or unique.

The disguise Bruce wore changed his appearance dramatically. A wig of stringy, black hair hung down to his shoulders. Makeup darkened his skin tone several shades, giving Bruce a much more noticeable tan than he actually possessed. Contact lenses changed his eyes from blue to brown. A fake scar had been placed perfectly on the back of his right hand, and a spider web tattoo decal had been positioned on the left side of his neck, half sticking up above his collar. Prosthetics on his face made his chin appear more angular and pointed, increased the sharpness of his cheekbones and gave him a flatter and wider nose. Alfred had taken a picture of Bruce's altered appearance and affixed the image to the ID card.

Still in his disguise, enhanced by the ID card and jumpsuit, Bruce waited patiently for the janitors to arrive. They were late. Remaining motionless, Bruce was hardly idle. He listened intently to the sounds of the parking structure. Bruce heard the hard soled shoes of the security patrol as they walked the upper levels on their rounds, gauging the time he had remaining before they reached his floor. If they arrived at the same time as the cleaning crew, it would make getting in undetected much more difficult.

He listened to the various motors of the people leaving for home after a hard day at work, the car doors closing loudly as the echoes of the surrounding concrete amplified the sounds. One motor was much closer and drew nearer with each passing second. Pushing himself into the shadow of the pillar as best he could, Bruce turned his eyes toward the approaching sound to see the pickup truck pull up to the entrance. The dull brown vehicle hadn't been kept in the best of shape, paint chipping from the hood and doors. A sizable crack marked the windshield on the passenger side. The truck possessed an extended cab, allowing five workers to make the commute together. The bed of the truck was completely empty.

During his recon mission the previous night, Bruce had seen them arrive empty handed, as they were tonight, but when he'd spotted them through a window later on, they had their equipment and cleaning supplies. Bruce knew their gear was stored somewhere in the building, but he would need them to lead him to it.

Bruce considered his best approach. Since the five men would undoubtedly recognize him as not being one of them, Bruce needed to get inside the building separately without drawing too much attention. Going in after the main group might cause suspicion as to why he was late, so he made up his mind to get inside before the actual crew.

Leaving the shadow by the pillar, Bruce stepped into full view of the security camera above the double doors of bare metal leading into the building. Walking calmly as if he were supposed to be there, Bruce opened the doors and went inside to the security checkpoint. A night watchman sat behind his desk, staring blankly toward a security monitor. Having seen Bruce on the screen, he wasn't startled when Bruce walked in.

Holding out his ID for inspection, Bruce nodded back toward the doors. He pitched his voice in such a way no one would be able to recognize it if they heard Bruce Wayne on the television. "The rest of the guys are right behind me. Mind if I go ahead and get started?"

The guard checked the screen and saw the real janitors approaching. He quickly looked over Bruce's ID and absently nodded, pressing a button on his desk. The glass doors in front of Bruce buzzed as the lock temporarily disengaged.

"Thanks," Bruce said, pulling open the glass door and slipping inside the building before the janitors could arrive and blow his cover. He was inside and on his way when he heard the outer doors open. It was a challenge for Bruce to walk slowly and calmly when he knew he needed to hurry. If he was spotted now, Bruce would have to either fight the security teams present in the building or run. Neither option appealed to him.

Bruce ducked into a bathroom and listened for the footsteps of the janitors to pass by his location. He couldn't allow them to spot him, but he needed the cleaning crew to show him around. Too many possible locations existed for a janitorial supply closet on the blueprints he'd found and examined with Alfred. Checking each location, when he didn't have keys like the real janitors did, could easily get him spotted by security.

A cluster of footsteps passed the door to the restroom, and Bruce continued to wait. He listened to the intensity of each shoe impacting against the tile floor, but one set of sounds was different.

Moving away from the door, Bruce dove into one of the stalls and shut the door. Stepping up on the toilet seat, he crouched down and held motionless as the bathroom door swung open and a security guard walked in. The guard wore harder soled shoes than the janitors, so his footsteps had been easy for Bruce to detect. Bruce could only hope the guard left before the janitors moved too far away, and Bruce lost track of them.

The security officer looked the room over, checking under the edge of the partitions dividing the stalls to be certain no one else was still in the building besides the janitors before the guards locked up for the night. Not seeing anyone, the guard flicked off the light and continued his rounds.

Bruce stepped carefully down, having to find his way around the layout of the bathroom by memory as he couldn't see a thing with the lights off. When he reached the door, Bruce paused again and listened. He could hear the retreating steps of the guard, but the cleaning crew was out of range.

Easing the door open to take a cautious look at his surroundings might've seemed like a good idea, but Bruce knew if anyone saw the door to the bathroom open slightly and then close again, the oddity of it would surely cause an investigation by security, especially since one of the guards had just checked the room and found it empty. He'd be caught for sure as the guards would certainly be more thorough on their next inspection.

Pulling the door open, Bruce confidently walked out of the bathroom, heading in the direction he heard the janitors go. He considered whistling a tune in the hopes of appearing casual, but he rejected it as he didn't want to draw the attention of the real janitors.

He spotted the cleaning crew at the far end of the main floor lobby, turning the corner and heading toward the elevators. They had thoughtfully left their supply closet open behind them. Bruce quickened his pace and appropriated an upright standing vacuum cleaner; wheeling it in front of him, Bruce headed in the opposite direction of the janitors, taking the service elevator up.

The service elevator was dismal compared to the main elevator the executives and employees used. It was larger but made from bare metal covered in scratches, dents, and splatters of dried paint. The motors responsible for lifting the elevator car from one floor to another were old, the cables creaking loudly as they moved. Bruce considered the possibility the service elevator might be one failed system away from being rendered completely useless. The only advantage Bruce saw in utilizing it was in how it kept him away from everyone else, janitors and security alike.

Arriving at the top floor, Bruce stepped out and pushed his vacuum cleaner across the soft carpeting toward the office of the CEO. Bruce knew the office would be protected, but the retina scanner he spotted as he drew closer was not something he was prepared to bypass. The office next door, however, had two weaknesses. It was protected by a standard lock, and the only security camera around was pointed toward the office of the CEO, leaving its neighbor out of sight.

Bruce approached the secondary office and pulled a set of lock picks from his pocket. Remembering what Giovanni had taught him years ago, he knelt down and began working on the lock. The urgency of the situation increased when he heard the main elevator down the hall open. The janitors were starting their work up here first, and it wouldn't take them long to discover him.

The tumblers were moved into position, and the lock opened. Bruce darted inside, dragging the vacuum cleaner with him and tucking it in a closet. He locked the office door before stepping carefully onto the large desk near the far wall. He reached up and lifted one of the ceiling tiles out of his way. It was dark above the ceiling, but he managed to find a catwalk running through the metal girders and support braces. Originally put in place to allow easier installation of cables and wiring, the catwalk provided Bruce a means of transit.

He heard the jingle of keys outside as one of the janitors prepared to enter the office.