Dark Web: Cicada 3301

The NSA arrests Connor for his involvement with Cicada 3301 and begins pressuring him to provide assistance against the organization. He is confronted with the weight of national security concerns and legal risks as the case unfolds. The events he describes culminate in his later testimony before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Connor accidentally uncovers Cicada's recruitment game, a series of puzzles that determine who can join the secretive group. He realizes the game is real and dangerous, not just a theoretical challenge. The NSA uses his discovery to leverage action against Cicada.

Gwen, a librarian hoping for recruitment, joins Connor and his best friend Avi to tackle the puzzles. The trio advances through clues while staying ahead of rival participants. After a near-fatal confrontation, Gwen and Avi drop out, leaving Connor to continue alone.

Continuing the game after Gwen and Avi exit, Connor's actions culminate in a massive power outage that disrupts essential services. The disruption demonstrates Cicada's reach and piques the attention of both the organization and outside authorities. The outage also accelerates Connor's path toward the private party invitation.

Connor receives an invitation to Cicada's private party in England, signaling a shift from puzzle-solving to a direct confrontation with the group. The stakes rise as more players are pulled into Cicada's world. Gwen and Avi remain involved, albeit with growing caution.

Connor and Gwen attempt to infiltrate Cicada's party to stop the organization, but the operation goes awry. Security forces and Cicada's own agents close in, turning the mission into a dangerous capture scenario. The plan quickly collapses as the duo is overwhelmed.

Dubois accuses Gwen of treason, revealing she is an NSA agent seeking amnesty through Cicada. Connor and Gwen are ordered to shoot each other to prove loyalty, heightening the tension and forcing them to choose sides. The confrontation exposes the fragile loyalties within their ranks.

Connor refuses to shoot Gwen and instead fights his way through, killing Dubois' guards. Gwen is shot during the melee and hands Connor a USB drive containing Cicada's secrets. The drive becomes the key to exposing Cicada from within.

Dubois explains he is an actor playing a role under Cicada's orders and did not anticipate real harm. His admission reframes the events as manipulated by the organization rather than a straightforward act of rebellion. The revelation underscores the tension between truth and performative justice.

As the NSA closes in, Connor downloads Cicada's information before losing consciousness during an escape attempt. Dubois is killed by the approaching agents, and the data on the drive becomes the leverage for what comes next. The sequence marks the climactic turn of the infiltration.

Back in the courtroom, the judges fault the NSA's tactics while acknowledging Connor's role in exposing the private documents. He reveals his plan to leak the documents, turning the hearing into a test of his will and resourcefulness. The confrontation dampens the government's official stance but seeds his future actions.

Connor uses the leaked documents to demand $1 million for each file and secures Avi's release from custody. He announces his intention to use the funds to help others, turning his actions into a form of vigilante justice. The financial leverage propels his plan to continue leaking information.

In the closing moments, Gwen is revealed to have joined Cicada as a member. Connor's actions have kept Cicada in play, while his own moral stance remains unsettled. The final beat shows Gwen reaching out to Connor from inside Cicada.