Chapter 3: Planning The First Heist
A few days later, Adam was officially part of the group. He hadn't been to Hawkins High since his first visit; the matron at the children's home was a stickler for rules, and she didn't approve of his "extracurricular" activities. But he had their phone numbers, and they were, much to his surprise, eager to hang out with him. They saw him as the cool new kid who was also a total nerd, a rare combination.
But the children's home was a constant, suffocating reminder of his reality. He was trapped. He was a ward of the state, a number in a system, with no money, no family, and no future. His new life was a fragile house of cards, and he knew it could come tumbling down at any moment. He needed a way out. He needed a new life, a new family, and money. He needed to build a foundation. And the System, in its cold, logical way, provided him with a new mission.
[SUB-MISSION: ACQUIRE A GUARDIAN AND FUNDS][STATUS: ACTIVE][HINT: YOUR ADULT MIND IS YOUR GREATEST ASSET. USE IT TO FIND A WEAKNESS IN THE SYSTEM.]
"The 'System.' Great. It's always about the System. Can't a guy just catch a break? The universe drops me here, gives me a new body, and a vague mission, and expects me to just wing it. Guess I'm the new guy in the Dungeon, but the stakes are real."
He knew who his target was. He had been observing the staff at the children's home, and one name kept coming up. Mr. Abernathy. A wealthy, self-important man who was on the board of directors. A man who was known for his "generous" donations to the home, but whose finances were, from what Adam had overheard, a little... fuzzy. He was the kind of person who liked to be seen as a philanthropist but was secretly a slumlord. The perfect mark.
He spent the next few days in the library, pouring over old newspaper articles and legal documents, a strange and unsettling task for a 14-year-old. His adult mind, however, was in its element. He had a natural aptitude for research and a keen eye for detail. He found it. A small, almost insignificant detail in a legal document from a decade ago. A property sale that was a little too low, a tax record that was a little too clean. It was a smoking gun, a small piece of a much larger, more complicated puzzle.
He had a plan. A cold, calculated, and frankly, amoral plan. He was going to blackmail Mr. Abernathy.
"I'm not a hero. I'm a survivor. And survivors do what they have to do. This isn't for fun. This is for my life. This is for my future."
He knew the man would be terrified of a scandal. His entire reputation, his entire life, was built on a lie. A lie that Adam could expose with a single phone call. But he didn't want to expose him. He wanted to use him.
The System, in its usual detached way, provided him with the next step.
[PHEROMONE: TRUTH (LOCKED)][EFFECT: COMPELS A PERSON TO TELL THE TRUTH, MAKING LYING PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY TAXING.][UNLOCK CONDITION: SUCCESSFULLY GATHER EVIDENCE AND CONFRONT A TARGET WITH THEIR CRIME.]
And another.
[PHEROMONE: FEAR (LOCKED)][EFFECT: INSTILLS A SENSE OF DREAD AND PANIC.][UNLOCK CONDITION: SUCCESSFULLY BLACKMAIL A TARGET AND GAIN COMPLIANCE.]
"Truth and Fear. The two tools of a good manipulator. Looks like I'm going to need to get my hands dirty. Great. Just when I thought my life couldn't get any more like a noir film."
He had the evidence. He had the plan. He had the tools. All he needed now was to make his move. He knew it was a dangerous game. He was a 14-year-old kid in an 18-year-old's mind, going up against a powerful, wealthy man with a lot to lose. But he had to do it. His life depended on it. His freedom depended on it.
He sat in his room, the small, depressing space a world away from his old life. He was no longer a coder, a gamer, a normal person. He was a survivor. A ghost in a new machine. And he was about to make his first big play.