Dishonored To Dominance: Marcus Rise

A CITY ON THE EGDE

Washington, D.C. - 7:45 AM

The sky over Washington, D.C., was a perfect mix of blue and gold, with the early morning sun casting long shadows across the city’s iconic landmarks. The streets were alive with the hum of traffic, people hurrying to work, and tourists gathering at the National Mall. On the surface, everything seemed normal. But underneath, there was tension—a city holding its breath, waiting for the storm to hit.

Inside the sleek, glass-paneled building of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), the atmosphere was anything but calm.

“Everyone, listen up!” Director Richard Cole’s voice boomed through the operations room, cutting through the constant hum of computers. His sharp blue eyes scanned the room as agents quickly dropped their conversations and turned toward him. "We've intercepted another encrypted message. It confirms what we feared."

"Another one?" Evelyn Hart, head of Cyber Operations, looked up from her screen, concern etched across her face. She was alrea