Chapter 22: The Crisis That Chose Him
Power doesn't announce itself when it arrives.
It announces itself when something breaks.
Ace Charles was halfway through his morning brief when Donna froze in the doorway.
"Ace," she said carefully, "we have a problem."
Ace looked up. "Define problem."
Donna swallowed. "Federal task force. DOJ. SEC. Treasury."
She paused.
"All at once."
The room went silent.
[LAWYER SYSTEM ALERT]Threat Level: SEVERETarget: Pearson Specter LittVector: Coordinated regulatory strike
Ace stood.
"Conference room. Now."
A Perfect Storm
Within minutes, Harvey, Louis, Mike, Katrina, and Donna were seated.
Ace didn't sit.
He stood at the head of the table, hands behind his back.
"They're alleging historical compliance failures," Donna said. "Shell clients, offshore exposure, conflict overlaps."
Louis snapped, "That's pre-Hale-era garbage!"
Ace nodded. "Which makes it believable."
Mike frowned. "They're not after fines."
"No," Ace said calmly. "They're after leverage."
Fight #1,123Opponent: Federal overreachStatus: Identified
The Hidden Trigger
Katrina spoke up. "This isn't random. Someone fed them a narrative."
Ace's golden eyes sharpened.
"Who benefits?"
Silence.
Then Harvey said it. "Old power."
Ace nodded. "They're testing the transition."
Louis slammed the table. "We just stabilized!"
Ace finally sat.
"And now we prove permanence."
Ace Takes Control
Ace's voice never rose.
"Donna—freeze all external communications."
"Harvey—pull every legacy case with cross-border exposure."
"Louis—internal audit, silent mode."
"Katrina—build a counter-narrative."
"Mike—come with me."
Mike blinked. "Where?"
Ace stood again.
"To meet the people who think I blink first."
Fight #1,138Opponent: PanicStatus: Suppressed
Face to Face
The federal building smelled like confidence.
And arrogance.
Ace sat across from three senior regulators.
They expected charm.
They got clarity.
"We believe your firm represents systemic risk," one said.
Ace nodded. "Then you misunderstand risk."
Another leaned forward. "This isn't negotiation."
Ace smiled faintly.
"Everything is."
Fight #1,152Opponent: Institutional intimidationStatus: Engaged
The Counterstrike Begins
Ace laid out documents.
Not defensive.
Offensive.
"Your investigation overlaps three jurisdictions illegally," Ace said. "Your whistleblower violates federal immunity terms."
The room shifted.
Mike watched in awe.
Ace didn't threaten.
He educated.
Fight #1,166Opponent: Federal leverageStatus: Eroding