Bleed the Wire

Elias sat in the dim light of the newly reactivated Echo Node, its orange glow flickering off exposed steel and cracked tile. The hum of passive power filled the space—subtle, but steady. A notification hovered at the edge of his HUD like a silent victory banner.

******

**[Passive Income Thread: Operational – +1 CP/day]**

Next Tick: 23:57

Upgrade Options Available: Expand Node | Encrypt Feed | Set Trap Layer

******

He didn't act on it yet. Letting the system run bare-bones for a day or two would reveal any weak spots. Elias didn't believe in patching leaks before he saw where the cracks formed.

Dizzy reclined against a busted vending machine nearby, sipping flat soda like it was fine wine. "So... we running a business now? Gonna start charging rent?"

"No," Elias muttered. "We're bleeding the wires. That's what this is. These old nodes—Echo tech, Crow Claw relics—they still pull current. Still have pull."

"You talk like you're building something."

Elias didn't reply.

Because he was.

***

Back at the Vire Alley safehouse, Mara paced while Elias ran diagnostics on the stolen Static comm beacon. The system interfaced slowly, decrypting with something akin to surgical patience.

Finally:

******

**[Static Relay Beacon – Level 1 Access Breach Successful]**

Revealed Data:

– Patrol Routes (Limited)

– Command Chain (Encrypted)

– Supply Drop Forecast (Pending – 12 Hours)

Temporary Boost: Predictive Movement Overlay – 24 Hours

******

Mara peered over his shoulder. "So we know where their boots will be."

"For now."

"And when that drop hits?"

"We take it."

Dizzy snorted from the doorway. "So we're jacking Static's supply run? That's next level suicide."

"No," Elias said. "It's pressure. We hit their chain. Make them think they've got a leak. Get them chasing shadows."

System alert chimed again.

******

**[Side Objective Available: Hijack Syndicate Supply Drop]**

ETA: 11:57

Location: Sector 3C Border

Rewards:

– +7 CP

– Loot Crate (Quality: Randomized)

– +1 Intel Thread

Warning: Conflict Likely (Tier 1+ Presence Expected)

******

He accepted.

***

They arrived near midnight—Sector 3C, just where Vire's jagged border met Blackridge Heights. The drop zone was a loading dock behind an abandoned food processing plant. Lights buzzed overhead, half-dead. Elias crouched on the rooftop with Mara and Dizzy flanking below.

Through the scope, Elias saw the drop container already in place—marked with the Syndicate's lightning sigil. Guarding it were two enforcers in armored vests and a tall figure behind them, masked in chrome. Static Elite.

Mara whispered through comms, "That one's trouble. I've seen that loadout before. That's Shockplate armor."

"Means he's faster than he looks," Elias muttered. "We do this clean."

He activated the Predictive Movement Overlay. Arcs traced across his vision—timing windows, patrol patterns, blind spots. He memorized the flow.

"Dizzy, toss the distraction left. Mara, flank wide right. I'll breach center once they shift."

They moved like smoke.

The distraction—an old bottle rigged with scrap electronics—landed with a burst of static shriek. One enforcer moved to investigate. The other called out, turning just as Mara surged in and dropped him with a silent blade.

Elias was already moving. He slid down the rooftop and landed in a crouch behind a rusted crate, Glock drawn. Shockplate turned—too late.

Elias emptied two rounds into the exposed joint at the knee. The elite staggered, dropping to one side as Dizzy fired a shot into his visor. The chrome cracked. Mara followed up, leaping and stabbing downward into the gap between collar and plate.

The elite twitched—then stilled.

System chimed.

******

**[Supply Drop Secured]**

+7 CP

+1 Intel Thread

Loot Gained:

– [Tier I Gear Crate] (Open?)

– [Encrypted Static Badge]

– [Field Medkit x1]

******

Elias opened the crate.

******

[Gear Crate – Tier I Contents]

– Tactical Gloves (+1 Reload Speed)

– Recon Contact Lens (+1 HUD Range)

– Lockpicking Tool (Quality: Moderate)

– Smoke Canister x2

******

He equipped the gloves and lens immediately. The rest went into the pack.

They left the bodies where they dropped—no time to clean. But Elias placed one last gift: a fake Crow Claw tag on the corpse of the elite.

A message.

Let Static chase ghosts for a while.

***

By morning, the HUD pulsed again.

******

[CP Update: +1 Passive Income (Grayline Node)]

Current CP: 26

Intel Threads: 2

Skill Points: 2

Underling Status:

– Mara (Tier 1): +2 XP

– Dizzy (Tier 0): +1 XP

******

Back at base, Dizzy stared at the growing map overlay, territory markers spreading like veins.

"You ever think about where this ends?"

Elias leaned back, watching the map shift in real time.

"No," he said. "But I know where it starts."

He tapped Grayline's node—and queued its first upgrade.

**Upgrade Selected: Encrypt Feed (+2 CP)**

The system confirmed.

One more thread tightened. One more step forward.

And the war was just getting warmed up.