The city didn't sleep — it simmered.
By morning, Blackridge was still soaked from the storm, steam rising from manholes like the whole place was exhaling rot. Elias stood outside the safehouse, watching a street preacher scream about surveillance demons and digital devils. Half the crowd laughed. The other half recorded him.
He didn't know which group was more dangerous.
Back inside, Mara had the stolen scanner node jacked into a stripped-down laptop. She hadn't slept. Her eyes were red-rimmed, hair tied in a messy braid, and fingers tapping fast over keys.
"This node's been transmitting passively for weeks," she said without looking up. "And it's not just local gang stuff. It's tied to a darknet relay hub registered through three layers of shell corps."
"Corporate?" Elias asked.
"Private security," she said. "Or a cover for something nastier."
Dizzy walked in holding two greasy breakfast burritos.
"We get points for eating, right?" he asked, biting into one.
Elias ignored him. He had work to do.
******
[System Notice: Daily Objective Available]
Objective: Disrupt Rival Operation (Watchdogs or Scavengers)
Bonus Reward if Completed in 12 Hours
Reward: +6 Crime Points | +1 Skill Point | Temporary Buff: "Momentum"
******
"We're hitting someone today," Elias said. "Either the Watchdogs or what's left of the Scavengers. We need a disruption hit — fast, noisy, and clean."
Mara frowned. "Watchdogs are better armed, but slower to respond. Scavs are spread thin but still desperate."
Elias opened the HUD map. South Quarter lit up like a war board.
Two zones blinked red:
- Scavenger Outpost: Corner bodega turned gun stash
- Watchdog Drop Point: Unmarked van on Pier 9, midday route
"We hit the pier," he decided. "Smaller guard, public enough to spook them, and close enough to retreat if things go loud."
Dizzy wiped burrito sauce from his mouth. "I miss when crime was just standing on corners."
Elias cracked a rare smirk. "You're in the big leagues now."
They geared up fast. Masks, gloves, burner comms. The Contact Spoofer flickered to life in Elias's pocket, distorting GPS signals within a short radius.
The pier was quiet when they arrived. A few dockworkers lingered, none of them paying attention to the unmarked van parked near a shipping crate.
Mara scoped with a compact monocular. "One driver, one lookout inside the crate."
Dizzy looked at Elias. "We shootin' or sneakin'?"
"We make it look like sabotage. No bodies left behind."
Mara nodded. "I'll kill the lights and cameras. You two take the crate and vanish the van."
The job went smooth. Too smooth.
Elias yanked open the van's door and slammed a stun baton into the driver's neck. Dizzy tossed a flashbang into the crate, followed by a non-lethal gas grenade they'd looted days ago.
Five minutes later, the pier was dark, the van engine gone, and the drop point in shambles.
******
[Objective Complete: Rival Operation Disrupted – Watchdogs]
Crime Points: +6
Skill Point Gained: +1
Temporary Buff Applied: "Momentum" – Increased Movement and Initiative for 6 Hours
******
CP: 11 → 17
Skill Points: +1 (Total now 2)
Buff Active
Back at the safehouse, Mara decrypted partial files from the scanner node.
"I found a pattern," she said. "Someone's been using the nodes to track... tags."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Dog tags?"
She nodded. "Digital ones. Embedded in phones, implants, even augmented gear. But some are flagged."
"What kind of flag?"
Mara turned the laptop toward him. A list of flagged names appeared — only three were active.
One read: **KANE, ELIAS**
Status: LIVE — HUNT LEVEL 1
Tag Type: Legacy | Unknown Origin
"You've been tagged since before the Scavengers," she said.
Elias stared at the screen. His pulse didn't rise. He just stared.
"Someone knew what I was before I did."
The system blinked again.
******
[Hidden Thread Activated: Legacy Tag Tracer]
Status: Tracked by Unknown Faction
Unlock Requirement: Survive 3 Encounter Attempts
Progress: 0/3
Reward: ???
******
The war he'd been preparing for?
It had already started.