305 Vs ck Hand (III), A Small Victory
The sprawling Mediterranean mansion was usually a sanctuary of calm and control, a symbol of the ck Hand''s dominance over the world.
But tonight, the conference room within its hidden depths was thick with tension and panic.
Some members of the Dark Council, the highest echelon of the ck Hand, were gathered and seated around the long obsidian table, their faces ashen and tight with anger.
Multiple screens disyed the ongoing chaos. Global protests had grownrger and more vtile. Headlines scrolled across news channels:
"The ck Hand Exposed: Evidence of Global Conspiracy Emerges."
"Silicon Valley Under Fire: G00gle, Arpple, and Microsuft Implicated."
"Leaked Documents Tie World Leaders to the ck Hand."
Even world leaders—the President of the United States, the British Prime Minister, and the Chinese Premier—were now being questioned about their alleged involvement.
Each one had denied the allegations, but their faces were stered across every major news outlet, under scathing usations of corruption andplicity.
In New York, protesters swarmed G00gle''s towering headquarters. In Beijing, Arpple''s gship store was vandalized by furious demonstrators. In London, Microsuft''s iconic offices were under siege from activists demanding answers.
"It''s spreading too fast," Selena hissed, her voice tight with fury. "This isn''t just some random leak. This is coordinated. Someone has ess to everything—our corporations, our governments, even our privatemunications!"
Cortez mmed his fist on the table, his voice a thunderp in the tense room. "We are being dismantled piece by piece. Whoever this is, they have dered war on us. If we don''t strike back now, we lose everything!"
Damian, the Council''s cyber warfare specialist, cleared his throat. His thin, sharp features betrayed none of the nervous energy rippling through the room. "We can still shift the narrative. If they want chaos, we''ll give them chaos on our terms."
He stood, pointing to a map of global infrastructure systems projected on one of therger screens. "Power grids, financial systems, transportationworks—these are our targets.
If we disrupt key systems in the countries with thergest protests, we can create enough confusion to divide public outrage. They''ll be too busy dealing with the fallout to focus on us."
Selena frowned, her usuallyposed exterior cracking. "You''re suggesting we sabotage the very systems we rely on? Are you insane?"
Cortez interrupted, his voice low and deadly. "Do you have a better idea, Selena? Damian, proceed."
"Good," Damian said as he nced at Selena, before leaving the the conference room and the building.
He immediately put a call through to his trusted people and the mission began in the earnest.
Within the hour, Damian''s team of elite hackers deployed the ck Hand''s greatest weapon—its control over the world''s most critical systems.
In New York, power grids failed across Manhattan, plunging the city into darkness. Subway trains screeched to a halt, stranding thousands.
Emergency services scrambled to contain the growing panic as looters took advantage of the ckout.
In London, global banks connected to the ck Hand''swork were hacked, wiping millions of ounts clean and creating mass financial hysteria.
It was shocking when the citizens of London saw massive and widespread debit alerts from their banks. It felt like a joke and someone spamming these messages to create more chaos buy when they checked their ounts and saw it empty, they blew their tops.
In Beijing, airports were grounded as air traffic control systems went offline. Flights were canceled, stranding tens of thousands of travelers.
The chaos was deliberate, a smokescreen to divert attention from the leaks. ck Hand-controlled media outlets quickly pivoted, pushing narratives of "foreign cyberterrorism" and "coordinated corporate sabotage."
****
Far below the surface in his fortified underground facility, Ss watched the chaos unfold across dozens of holographic disys.
Each attack, each disruption, and each attempt to shift the narrative appeared in real-time.
"They''re running out of options," Ss muttered, his expression calm yet cold.
{Master, the attacks are targeting critical infrastructure in high-protest zones. They are escting rapidly. Do you wish to engage the countermeasures?} Luna''s voice was steady, free of concern.
"Engage," Ss replied, his eyes sharp as they darted across the disys. "Reroute thepromised systems through our secureworks.
Let''s stabilize the situation before it spirals further. And while you''re at it, trace the origins of the attacks."
{Understood. Activating fail-safes now. Countering ck Hand''s infiltration... tracing origin nodes...plete. Locations identified.}
In moments, Luna''s precision dismantled the ck Hand''s carefully orchestrated chaos.
Power grids in New York were rerouted, restoring electricity within minutes. Bank ounts in London were encrypted and restored, with Luna issuing automated messages to ount holders apologizing for the "technical glitch."
Beijing''s air traffic systems were brought back online, with Luna locking the ck Hand out of their own malware.
Luna was done with everything but Ss wasn''t finished.
"Luna, expose the source of the attacks. I want every hacker working for the ck Hand identified. Let the world see who''s pulling the strings."
{Deploying data now. Done. High-priority targets had already been exposed to global intelligence agencies and is being broadcasted around the world.}
Within hours, news outlets around the world were broadcasting the identities of the ck Hand''s top hackers.
Photos, locations, and incriminating evidence flooded the airwaves. Interpol issued arrest warrants, and governmentsunched raids on ck Hand operatives.
---
The chaos only added to the desperation in the Mediterranean mansion. The Dark Council reconvened, their earlier confidence shattered.
Damian''s chair was conspicuously empty; news had just broken of his arrest in a covert raid by French authorities.
Selena red at Cortez, her voice trembling with anger. "Our best hackers are being arrested, our assets are frozen, and our operations are falling apart. We are losing control, Cortez! We need to fight back!"
Cortez clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "What do you think I''m trying to do, Selena? This isn''t the time for panic. We have—"
Another notification shed on the screen before him. He froze, reading the headline with growing dread:
"Global Humanitarian Funds Surge as ck Hand Offshore ounts Seized."
---
In hismand center, Ss stood with his arms crossed, watching as Luna executed the next phase of his n.
{Master, phase two isplete. Offshore ounts totaling $50 billion have been frozen. An additional $20 billion has been rerouted to global aid organizations. ck Hand shellpanies have been exposed and seized by regtors.} n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Excellent," Ss said, his voice steady. "Release the documents detailing their moneyundering schemes. Let the banks and governments see just how deep their corruption goes."
{Releasing documents now. The financial impact will escte.}
The effects were immediate. Governments worldwide froze ck Hand assets, while global banks severed ties with implicated corporations. Charitable organizations began receiving anonymous donations from the seized funds, further enhancing public goodwill toward the anti-ck Hand movement.
---
At the mansion, Cortez sat slumped in his chair, his face pale and drawn. Selena had stormed out, her fury barely contained, while the remaining council members avoided eye contact.
"We''re finished," one of them muttered, his voice barely audible. "This... this is the end."
Cortez refused to ept it. mming his fist on the table, he growled, "No. This isn''t over. Whoever''s behind this, we will find them, and we will make them pay."
---
Back in his facility, Ss leaned forward, his expression calm but resolute. On the screens before him, the ck Hand''s empire crumbled in real-time. Their assets were frozen, their operatives exposed, their influence dismantled.
"This is what happens when you overreach," Ss murmured to himself. "No one is untouchable. Not even the ck Hand."