Location: Solara – Broken Rail District, Year 2, Month 2
At the edge of the freight yards, a 17-year-old thief tried to rob the wrong man.
He snuck into a Phantom-run drop point.
Thought he was slick.
Until the lights cut.
And he felt a hand wrap around his throat.
Damon's Voice – First Words in Months (Distorted, Masked)
"You get one mistake.
You just made yours."
But the kid didn't beg.
Didn't cry.
He looked him in the eyes and said:
"I don't know who you are…
But if you're building something, I want in."
System Check-In: Urban Sector, Neutral Grounds
Check-In Complete
– Reward: $11,200
– Bonus Gained: "Echo Trigger"
→ You now know when someone sees you as more than a rumor
New Contact Acquired:
– Name: Rico "Stitch" Alvarez
– Role: Urban recon, tech runner, courier
– Loyalty: TBD
– Potential: High
System Suggestion: First seed of your crew.
Meanwhile – International Heat Expands
Word of the Phantom spreads:
In Jakarta, he's blamed for 200 million in vanishing weight.
In Lisbon, a senator's security detail is wiped in a surgical strike.
In Morocco, a transport lord flips alliances, citing "fear of the masked dragon."
And one whisper hits Zeke's encrypted alert feed:
"Dragonshade is rising. Whoever he is… he doesn't miss."
Back at St. Monarch – Nova Connects the Dots
She's sitting in class when an underground newsflash pops on a burner tab.
"Masked unknown kills trafficker in Paris."
MO: single shot. Vanishes. No digital trace. Sound familiar?
She leans back.
Eyes narrowed.
Whispers to herself:
"No way.
He's dead.
…Right?"
Final Scene – Damon & Rico, Rooftop Talk
The kid sits across from him now.
Shaking. Still alive. Still loyal.
Damon tosses a burner phone onto the ground.
"Work starts tomorrow.
Fail once… and no one remembers your name."
Rico grins.
"Yes, sir…
But what should they call you?"
Damon stands.
Silent.
Turns his back.
Then speaks, just once.
"They don't call me anything.
They fear me."