08:00 AM (The morning before the Central Bank operation)
Ironport Police Headquarters – Sector 1
Chaotic bustle, piles of incident reports from the citywide unrest, and the sharp, bitter scent of burnt coffee.
Amidst the frenzy of detectives rushing back and forth, a 24-year-old man named Marcel sat at his desk. Marcel was the top graduate of his academy class, yet he had been relegated to the archives because he asked too many questions about the illegal funds flowing into Sinclair's pockets.
Suddenly, Marcel's computer screen flickered red. A message bypassed all police firewalls and appeared in the corner of his display:
> "Justice is not found in that badge, Marcel. Justice exists within the shadows.">
The Forbidden Meeting
Two hours later, Marcel found himself in a cramped café at the corner of Sector 1, far from the reach of the few remaining functional surveillance cameras. There, a man in a sharp suit—radiating a dangerous aura—was already waiting for him.
Rion sipped his coffee expressionlessly as Marcel sat across from him, his hands trembling slightly.
"Who are you? And how did you hack my private terminal?" Marcel asked in a low, urgent tone.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Rion replied calmly. "What matters is who you are. You are the man who tried to report Sinclair's corruption three times, and three times your reports ended up in a paper shredder. You want to destroy them from within, but you lack the weapons."
Rion slid a small black flash drive across the table toward Marcel.
"Inside is the evidence of Seifong's transactions with your department. Use it to climb the ranks. Become the person Sinclair trusts. Become the hero he needs."
Marcel stared at the drive as if it were a time bomb. "And what do you want in return?"
"I don't need your money," Rion said, locking eyes with Marcel. "I need ears inside Sinclair's briefing room. I need eyes on every SWAT movement. I need a mole clean enough to be trusted, but brave enough to betray."
The Piece is Set
Marcel was silent for a long time. He knew that if he took this object, there was no turning back. He would be a traitor to his institution, but perhaps the only person truly doing something for the city.
"Why me?" Marcel whispered.
"Because you are the only cop left with a conscience in this dead city," Rion answered as he stood up. "Don't contact us. We will contact you. Welcome to the team, Detective Marcel."
Rion vanished into the Sector 1 crowds, leaving Marcel alone with the heaviest decision of his life.
Report from HQ
Back at Sector 7, Mia monitored Marcel's device, which had just been infected by tracking malware designed by Key.
"The piece is in position, Rion," Mia reported via earpiece. "Marcel just plugged the drive into his office computer. He's taken the bait."
"Good," Rion replied, driving toward the rendezvous point. "Now we have eyes on the inside. Sinclair will never realize that his greatest enemy is sitting right across from his desk."
With Marcel as an internal informant, the Central Bank heist was no longer a suicide mission—it was becoming a perfect execution.