War didn't begin with shouting.
It began with silence.
Ace Charles stood at the head of the conference table as the screen lit up with a single name:
BLACKCREST CONSORTIUM
A multinational shell empire. Energy, defense logistics, private infrastructure. Untouchable—at least on paper.
"Who brought this to us?" Harvey asked, arms crossed.
Ace didn't look at him. "They didn't bring it to us."
The screen shifted.
UNITED STATES v. BLACKCREST (PENDING)ESTIMATED MARKET IMPACT: $4.6 BILLION
Louis let out a low whistle. "That's… that's nuclear."
Jessica leaned forward. "They're preemptively lawyering up."
Ace nodded. "They're trying to buy immunity."
Harvey smirked. "And they picked the wrong store."
Ace finally looked at him. "They picked the most efficient one."
Fight Opponent: Blackcrest ConsortiumStatus: Declared
Blackcrest's opening move came three hours later.
An injunction.A media leak.A coordinated regulatory inquiry.
The phones exploded.
Louis was already sweating. "They're flooding us. FOIA requests, subpoenas, jurisdictional challenges—"
Ace raised a hand.
"Good," he said.
Everyone paused.
"They're overextending," Ace continued. "That means fear."
Harvey grinned. "Now you're speaking my language."
Ace turned to Mike Ross. "You're with me."
Mike straightened. "On what?"
"Pattern collapse," Ace said. "They think this is about legality. It's about exposure."
Mike nodded slowly. "You want to force discovery before they can compartmentalize."
Ace's golden eyes flicked to him—approval.
"Yes."
Fight #179Opponent: Information asymmetryStatus: Reversing
Across the city, Blackcrest's lead counsel watched the news feeds nervously.
"Pearson Hardman is pushing back faster than expected," an aide said.
The man frowned. "Who's running point?"
A pause.
"Ace Charles."
Silence.
"…The kid?"
The aide swallowed. "The one with the wall name."
The counsel leaned back slowly.
"Then this just became expensive."
That night, Ace sat alone in his office, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened slightly—still immaculate.
Files hovered digitally around him.
[LAWYER SYSTEM — WAR MODE]Enemy Capital Flow: MappedPolitical Exposure: HighPsychological Weak Points: Identified
One name surfaced repeatedly.
Adrian Wolfe.
Billionaire. Shadow investor. Known for crushing opposition quietly.
Ace smiled faintly.
"Found you."
Fight #184Opponent: Adrian WolfeStatus: Targeted
Ace's phone buzzed.
Evelyn Vale: You look like someone planning something dangerous.
Ace typed back without hesitation.
Ace: I am.
A pause.
Evelyn Vale: Try not to burn the city down before dinner.
Ace allowed himself a small smile.