The lights inside Black Core Alpha shifted from cool white to pulsing red.
Damon stepped into the command floor in full silence. No music. No chatter. Just tension thick enough to choke.
Zeke spun in his chair, eyes sharp.
"Someone inside the system accessed our secure transport manifest."
Kai leaned on the wall, arms crossed, Glock at his side. "That list had routes, drop times, and cash vault schedules. One slip could've ended everything."
Damon didn't speak.
He just tapped the center of the glass table, where a digital display bloomed outward like smoke.
Eight names appeared. All internal. All trusted.
The System flickered.
[Security Crisis Detected]
Activating "Sovereign Protocol: Internal Loyalty Scan"
– Loyalty Rating:
Zeke Maddox: 97%
Kai Moreno: 100%
Nyah Rivera: 85%
Javon "Flex" Thomas: 74%
Tone Barnes: 53%
"Ghost" (Real Name Unknown): 91%
Leena Park: 68%
Trey Varnes: 34% — Breach Likely
Damon's jaw tightened.
"Trey."
Zeke blinked. "He runs comms for Zone 3. Doesn't even have access to our vault schematics…"
"Unless someone gave it to him," Damon finished.
Later That Night — Interrogation Bay
Trey was sweating before he even saw Damon walk in.
He tried to speak. Damon raised a hand. Silence.
The System buzzed.
[Check-In: Lie Detection Mode Activated]
All verbal responses will be analyzed for truth integrity. Visual cues amplified.
New Skill Unlocked: "Interrogator's Instinct" — You'll always know where to press hardest.
Damon leaned close, voice ice cold.
"Someone paid you. Promised you safety. Gave you a number they swore I wouldn't trace."
Trey looked away.
Damon stepped in, towering now, physique divine, presence oppressive.
"You weren't a threat. You were just sloppy. And I hate sloppy."
Trey broke.
"It wasn't just money," he choked. "They… they knew about your mother. Said she was buried with secrets. Said your father's people wanted you dead before you ever learned the truth."
Damon's eyes flickered.
Trigger Detected: Bloodline Alert
Origin: Lucien Black's Silent Wing — Black Family Enforcers
Objective: Eliminate "Bastard Line" risks before inheritance review date
So it was true.
His family didn't just abandon him. They were trying to erase him. Permanently.
System Reward – "Ruler's Vengeance Protocol"
You now control the fates of enemies exposed through loyalty scans
Options:
Exile — Remove all trace of affiliation
Repurpose — Brainwash / Reassign under direct monitoring
Eliminate — Permanent solution (System can assist)
Damon stared down at Trey.
He made his decision.
(We'll leave that action offscreen — your call later.)
Back in the Command Room
Nyah stood near the digital map, arms crossed. "You okay?"
"No," Damon said. "But I'm awake now."
Zeke added, "And if Lucien Black is involved… it means the elites are about to start watching with guns drawn."
Damon nodded.
"Then let's give them a reason to fear what they created."