Blood and Blueprints

The abandoned drug lab on 6th and Halperin didn't look like much—just a scorched warehouse with broken windows and a rusted roll-up gate.

But Elias Kane saw potential.

This was Resource Node #2. The final piece to solidify his claim.

The interior smelled of chemicals and fire damage. Scorched tables. Burned-out machinery. But beneath the grime, it still had the bones of a functioning lab—piping, electrical conduits, even a steel-reinforced supply vault untouched by the Scavenger implosion.

******

**[System Alert: Resource Node – Drug Lab Identified]**

**Current Status: Derelict (Reclaimable)**

**Objective: Reclaim & Secure Facility**

**Bonus Objective: Reactivate Production Capabilities**

**Reward: +10 Crime Points | Access to Basic Processing Tier**

******

"Looks like someone tried to cook up half the district," Dizzy muttered, stepping over shattered glass. "What do we do with it?"

Elias ran a gloved hand across the soot-covered wall. "We rebuild it. Quietly."

They started by clearing entry points, blocking broken doors with scavenged metal sheets and reinforcing the front gate with chain and a padlock. Elias activated the system's layout scanner through his HUD.

Blueprint Mode. Grid lines lit up the walls and floor, displaying structural integrity, wiring paths, and even ventilation shafts.

******

**[New Feature Unlocked: Blueprint Mode – Tier I Base Planning]**

**Basic Constructs Available:**

– Reinforced Doors (5 CP)

– Wall Mount Camera (3 CP)

– Crude Lab Station (8 CP)

– Barricade (2 CP)

**Crime Points Available: 9**

******

Elias made his picks quickly:

- **Barricade x2 (4 CP)**

- **Reinforced Door (5 CP)**

The system shimmered faintly as virtual placement snapped into reality. Scrap material around the lab vibrated, pulled into shape—nanite welding lines stitching panels and chains together. Dizzy took a step back.

"Okay, that's... new."

"You'll get used to it," Elias said.

They worked into the afternoon, and by dusk, the lab looked less like a ruin and more like a fallback HQ. Still dirty, still unstable—but protected.

Then the trouble came.

A truck pulled up outside—an old delivery van with mismatched panels and spray tags across the sides. Four guys jumped out. Urban armor. Cheap rifles. Cocky swagger.

A rising gang, not Scavengers. These guys had a new emblem: white chevron on red. Not known territory. Not yet.

The leader stepped forward, chewing gum and holding a shotgun with a laziness that screamed "dangerous idiot."

"This place used to be neutral," he said. "Now I hear some upstart's laying claim. That you?"

Elias didn't answer. He stepped forward instead.

"Thought so," the man said, grinning. "See, we're Red Harrows. New blood. New rules. And we like collecting rent."

"You like talking," Elias replied. "Let me teach you something else."

He moved fast. The shotgun came up too slow. Elias ducked left, snapped the man's arm at the elbow, and drove a knee into his stomach. Dizzy fired twice from cover—one Harrow dropped screaming, the others scrambled.

Ten seconds. The fight was over.

Elias stood over the groaning leader.

"Tell your crew. 6th and Halperin isn't for sale."

******

**[Combat Complete – Minor Rival Suppressed]**

**+6 Crime Points | +1 Territory Morale**

**Drug Lab Secured – 2/2 Resource Nodes Acquired**

**Territory Status: Stabilizing | Promotion Opportunity Available**

******

Back at the safehouse, Elias opened his Territory Management menu.

A new option glowed.

**PROMOTE TO RANK: SECTOR ENFORCER**

Requirements Met:

- 1 Underling

- 2 Resource Nodes

- Territory Defended (72 hrs)

Elias hit [CONFIRM].

******

**[Rank Promotion Achieved – Sector Enforcer]**

**Benefits Unlocked:**

– Passive Income: +2 CP per day

– Base Expansion Options (Tier II)

– Increased Crime Shop Inventory

– Map Access: Rival Movement (Low Accuracy)

– Reputation: Recognized Threat (Tier 0 gangs will hesitate to engage)

******

Dizzy stared at him as the system UI faded from Elias's vision.

"You're really doing it, man," he said. "This ain't a hustle no more. It's a warpath."

Elias nodded slowly.

"We're just getting started."