Elijah woke to the ping of a new calendar event in his notebook: "Final push—30 assists, 10 revives by Sunday." His makeshift team, Phoenix Vanguard, had three days left. No Interface prompt, but his manifesto glowed above his rig: Support is Victory. Focus 92, Stamina 13, Confidence Transcendent, Teamwork 100—stats no longer tethered to system quests, yet each point reflected his self-forged journey.
Monday: Streamlined Roles
He gathered EchoPulse, WaveRider, GearShift, and LowPoly for a role-optimization session. In custom mode on Citadel's Shadow:
EchoPulse refined her rotation calls, using ping beats instead of full sentences. WaveRider tested triple-smoke combos to isolate bomb sites precisely. GearShift practiced non-lethal flash bounces to blind and stun without scoring kills. LowPoly mapped three hidden camera spots to catch flankers before they struck.
Elijah timed his revive runs, cutting resuscitation time from ten to six seconds. After five iterations, the drill report blinked green: "All roles optimized." They felt confident heading into Ranked.
Tuesday: Ranked Relay
The squad queued for Ranked. Their first match, a 5-man of unpredictable rotate paths, set the tone:
Round 1 (6–3 Win): WaveRider's smokes created a safe revive corridor; Elijah recorded two revives and three assists. Round 2 (4–6 Loss): GearShift's distraction failed to bait defenders; a late flank broke their retake. Elijah used four grenades to delay plant, earning two more assists. Round 3–5 (6–2, 6–4, 6–5 Wins): EchoPulse's quick pings anticipated enemy shifts; LowPoly's drones highlighted hidden angles; Elijah clocked five revives and six assists.
By match end, the team logged 12 assists and 4 revives. Their morale soared, but they still trailed on both quests. Elijah called a brief debrief: "We're building momentum—keep pushing support."
Wednesday: Scrims and Resolve
A midweek scrim against Team Tempest tested their synergy under pressure. The stakes were high: Tempest was scrappy and ruthless in punishing single mistakes.
Round 1: WaveRider's A-site tri-smoke failed; GearShift improvised a flash-catch that netted three assists. Round 2: Elijah triggered Clarity Pulse to coordinate a three-way flank; the squad achieved a perfect retake with zero lethal kills. Rounds 3–6: Multiple mental resets kept them calm when Tempest baited mid-spires and rotated hard. Elijah's revives prevented four round losses.
They won the scrim 4–2, accruing 8 assists and 6 revives. Elijah noticed his own Stamina steady at 12—support play energized rather than drained him. He added these tallies to his manifesto board.
Thursday: Community Qualifier
Phoenix Vanguard entered an online qualifier for the Rookie Rumble Cup. Success would test their zero-kill philosophy under real‐tournament conditions.
Early Rounds Match 1: A north-American squad with discordant comms. WaveRider's utility detained them in spawn, allowing two safe revives and four assists. They won 6–1. Match 2: A European contender with heavy riflers. echoPulse's analysis calls and Elijah's Ammo Pack Precision (dropping resupply packs on chokepoints) shut down every push. They won 6–3, adding 10 assists and 3 revives. Semifinals
They faced Vortex Clan, famed for counter-support play. The match was a grinder:
Round 1 (6–4 Win): GearShift's cover-fire drawn all attention, opening site for WaveRider's smokes and Elijah's three revives. Round 2 (5–6 Loss): Vortex read the intel, avoiding traps and isolating Elena from revives. Round 3 (6–3 Win): Elijah used two Resonance Pulses to orchestrate retakes, netting five assists. Round 4 (6–5 Win): LowPoly's "silent cam" tag spotted the bomb planter; Elijah's Smoke Curtain saved the round.
With a 3–1 victory, they advanced to the finals. Supplies of stamina felt low—Stamina 10—but their assist count surged over 30 and revives over 10, fulfilling Elijah's manifesto quest. Yet the trophy remained out of reach.
Friday: Finals and Reflection
The final was scheduled at 8 PM against Iron Dawn, a disciplined squad known for flawless coordination. Phoenix Vanguard prepared in the practice booth:
Refined shock-grenade placement to moment-lock multiple entries. Practiced four-way cross-smoke executions on Ravenfall. Ran mental resets under timed distractions.
When the final began, their disciplined support yielded early leads—four revives in the first two rounds, eight assists. But Iron Dawn adapted:
Iron Dawn used reverse-flash tactics to counter WaveRider's smokes, cutting off revives twice. A late-round bait on mid-tower caught GearShift off position, swinging two rounds.
Down 1–3, Elijah called a "Support Huddle" timeout. He exhaled calmly and reminded the team: "We've already won our manifesto quest. This match is about proving support can stand with any firepower." They nodded.
Final Four Rounds Round 5 (6–2 Win): Multi-smoke cyclone at C-side; Elijah's ammo drop kept two lifelines alive. Round 6 (6–5 Win): Perfect three-way distraction; EchoPulse's pinpoints led to six assists. Round 7 (4–6 Loss): Iron Dawn's clutch defuse under two-man revive pressure; their cohesion broke Phoenix's momentum. Round 8 (5–6 Loss): A nail-biting scramble; Elijah's last-second smoke let one final revive, but the bomb detonated.
They finished 3–5 in the finals. No trophy, but Elijah's manifesto quest was officially complete:
Assists: 32 Revives: 12
The team erupted in celebration, not for the win, but for achieving a self-driven challenge that redefined victory. Elijah felt a surge of warmth in his chest—doubt replaced by purpose.