In Damon Vale's luxurious apartment, the sound of notifications from laptops and phones signaled the latest updates.
An assistant hurried in and spoke quickly,
"Sir, there's another irregularity at BIPS. The ranking system shows unusual activity. Several students stand out, but one name keeps popping up…"
Malik, standing by the window, stared at the screen with sharp interest.
"I'm interested in one student there. His name… Alex," he said, his voice flat but full of curiosity.
Damon looked up, raising an eyebrow.
"Who's that?" he asked shortly, his voice calm yet serious.
Malik pointed at the screen, showing movement graphs and school rankings.
"He's different. Not flashy, but his movements… analytical. I think he could be a threat—or an ally—depending on how we steer him."
Damon exhaled slowly, then picked up his phone. He quickly dialed a number.
"Cassian… I need information on this student. Alex Carter, BIPS. Use your hacker contacts, find everything we can. History, abilities, social network… everything. I want to know if he's just an ordinary student… or more dangerous than he seems."
Malik smiled faintly, watching Damon.
"Be careful. This kid isn't ordinary. If he's as smart as I think… you're in for a real challenge."
Damon nodded, eyes drifting to the window. The lights of Brooklyn glittered in the night.
"Alright. Let's see how far he can move… and how quickly we need to close the gaps."
Meanwhile, on Cassian's laptop, he began typing furiously, accessing their hacking network to dig up everything about Alex Carter. Alex's name started appearing across multiple targets: school, rankings, social connections, even old records of his martial arts competitions.
Damon closed his eyes for a moment, planning his next move.
"If Alex Carter starts to make a move… we need to be ready. And I want every action precise, with no mistakes."
Malik lightly tapped Damon's shoulder.
"This is going to be fun."
In his dark office, Cassian Vale stared at his laptop screen with a cold, thin smile.
The latest report from his hacker network revealed the family details of a BIPS student named Alex Carter.
Cassian read slowly:
Alex's mother: an ordinary housewife living in Brooklyn.
Alex's father: Roland Carter…
The name made Cassian pause. Roland Carter—the man who had long worked with Cassian on secret operations, including the "honest police" incident the night before.
Roland was not just an ordinary employee; he was a trusted operative, executing Cassian's dark plans, manipulating, intimidating, and enforcing orders.
Cassian leaned back in his chair, his smirk widening.
"Perfect… this can be the boy's weakness," he muttered softly.
"If he steps out of line, we can use his family against him. Always play the family card."
He typed a few quick, covert instructions to Malik and Damon:
"Keep an eye on the boy, but don't confront him directly. Track his habits, friends, and any potential threat. His family… will be our safety net if needed."
Cassian stared at the screen longer, his eyes glinting with calculation:
"Alex Carter… clever, brave, but still unaware of this dark world. Let's see how far he can go before our net closes in."
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn that night, the city lights reflected off the windows of Alex's apartment. Unbeknownst to him, The Cooperation's eyes were already fixed on him—and on his family.
Damon Vale sat on the long black sofa, staring at his phone. He had just opened a chat from Cassian, reading the latest instructions and information about Alex's father, Roland Carter. The details made their plan even clearer.
Malik sat beside him, sipping his coffee, eyes fixed on the screen with interest.
Suddenly, Kaito Ren entered without knocking, his expression casual but meaningful.
"You guys didn't watch the exclusive match downstairs?" he asked, referring to the recently concluded illegal event.
Malik glanced up, narrowing his eyes.
"Is it over already?"
Kaito nodded.
"Yes… behind the scenes. Daniel wants to quit The Cooperation after that match."
Damon frowned, keeping his gaze on the chat. He muttered quietly, almost under his breath:
"He thinks he can just walk away… if Cassian finds out, he'll be gone for good."
Malik smirked slightly, patting Damon on the shoulder.
"Everyone here learns one thing—the Cooperation isn't a regular club. There's a price for every move you make."
Kaito sat across from them, lighting a cigarette, his eyes sharp.
"Daniel… he's too reckless. But his move could be an opportunity as well. We need to monitor Alex more closely. The kid is showing real potential."
Damon closed his phone calmly, but his gaze remained cold and focused.
"Good. Everyone moves according to plan. Alex Carter… it's time to start counting."
Malik leaned forward slightly.
"And if he goes too far… we already know the weakness we can exploit."
Damon simply nodded, eyes fixed on the city outside the window, thinking his next move, while the night shadows of Brooklyn seemed to close in around them.
In a room full of monitors and winding cables, an FBI agent—Selena Martinez—sat intently watching the data. Her screens displayed a sprawling network of teenage criminal activity across New York City, including records of illegal matches happening at several elite schools.
Selena marked each incident, connecting the dots: students involved, shadowy sponsors, and suspicious transactions. The system revealed a larger pattern: all the schools seemed linked to one mysterious organization, with hidden ties to the government.
Across the room, Marcus Hale, her colleague, held a steaming cup of coffee, staring at the screens with deep curiosity. His eyes focused on one particular incident—the bus from earlier.
"I'm curious about that kid on the bus," Marcus murmured, his voice low but serious.
Selena glanced at him, her gaze sharp.
"Alex Carter. I've been watching him too. That kid… he's not ordinary. Intelligent, analytical, but he's already on a collision course with a group that's clearly dangerous."
Marcus sipped his coffee, eyes fixed on a point on the screen: the bus, the motorcycles, the interactions between BIPS and BTSI students.
"He looks alert. But he doesn't yet realize how far this threat goes. We need to keep monitoring him before he gets dragged in."
Selena typed rapidly, pulling up background information on students and a list of those potentially involved in the illegal network.
"All this data—from schools, online activity, even secret forums—will be key to tracing their connection to the larger organization."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Alright. Let's start with Alex. He could be the key to breaking into their network—or the first target if he missteps."
Selena's eyes remained glued to the screen as she prepared a covert monitoring plan, reminding Marcus:
"Every move has to be silent. They're just teenagers…but their world is far more dangerous than it looks."
On the monitors, the web of student interactions, school connections, and illegal tournaments shifted rapidly—every dot lighting up whenever Alex Carter's name appeared.