Chapter 1

**Zero Hour. Saturday, 23:47.**

The Las Vegas strip twinkled like a canvas of stars outside the nondescript office building. Inside, Ethan "Zero" Blackwood sat immersed in his code, his fingers dancing across the keyboard.

His lair – a cramped, dimly lit room on the third floor – hummed with the soft whir of the computers and the faint scent of burned coffee. Ethan's domain.

At 25, he was already legendary in the hacking world. His handle, "Zero," struck fear and respect in equal measure. Few knew his true identity; even fewer had seen his face.

Ethan's current project consumed him – infiltrating Omicron Innovations' supposedly impenetrable server. The corporation's latest AI breakthroughs were rumored to be worth billions.

As he worked, Ethan's mind wandered to his crew: Lena "Spectra" Lee and Jax "Rampart" Patel. Lena was his second-in-command, a genius cryptologist with an unparalleled patience. Jax handled security, his skills honed from years of military service.

Together, they formed an unstoppable trio – Zero's crew.

Ethan's phone buzzed, breaking his focus. An encrypted message from Lena flashed on the screen:

"Spectra: Zero, we have eyes on Victor 'Oblivion' Vex. He's sniffing around Omicron. Thought you should know."

Ethan's gut tightened. Victor – a rival hacker with a reputation for ruthlessness – was not someone to underestimate.

He typed a swift response:

"Zero: Keep digging, Spectra. I'll handle Victor. –Z"

The cursor blinked, awaiting his next move. Ethan leaned back, eyes narrowing as he contemplated the shadows gathering around his kingdom.

Little did he know, his world was about to collide with forces beyond his control.

Ethan's eyes never left the screen as he worked to infiltrate Omicron Innovations' server. Lena's warning about Victor Vex lingered in his mind, but he couldn't afford distractions.

Suddenly, his computer beeped – an incoming message from an unknown sender. Ethan's instincts flared; unknown messages rarely brought good news.

He opened the chat window:

**Unknown:** Zero, we need to talk. Meet me at Club Europa tonight. Alone.

Ethan's gut tightened. Club Europa was a high-end nightclub on the outskirts of Vegas – not his usual haunt. He typed a cautious response:

**Zero:** Who is this? Not falling for anonymous invites.

**Unknown:** Someone who knows your past, Zero. Be there.

The message ended abruptly, leaving Ethan with more questions than answers. What past were they referring to? His hacking history was well-documented; this had to be something deeper.

He saved the chat log and sent it to Lena, adding:

"Zero: Spectra, analyze this unknown sender. Club Europa meeting requested. Smells fishy."

Lena responded immediately:

"Spectra: On it, Zero. But Club Europa's is owned by Omicron Innovations... This could be related to our current op."

Ethan's eyes narrowed. Connections were forming – Victor Vex, Omicron Innovations, and now this mysterious meeting. He had to attend Club Europa tonight, alone and armed with answers.

Ethan deciding to go alone adds extra layer of tension but he decided go alone as it is related to him.

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