Episode 15 — Cash in the Chaos
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Cold Open — The HUD's Warning
The Bronx sky was cracked gray, spitting rain. Legend sat on the couch, blunt lit, HUD burning across his eyes.
[CASH FLOW | +$2,400 Deposited]
Balance: $127,240 → $129,640
The number grew like always. Reliable. But the HUD's edges flickered yellow.
[System Alert: Secret Shield Overload Risk — 72%]
[Recommendation: Stay Lowkey. Chaos probability rising.]
Legend smirked. "Chaos don't scare me. I tax it."
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Scene 1 — Miles on Stage
That night, Miles finally had his first real show. A rented hall, a DJ paid cash, a hundred kids shouting lyrics back at him. Legend stood in the back, hood up, lowkey, watching his little brother taste fire.
Miles was electric. Hungry. The Bronx poured out of him raw. But then — the sound cut. Mic dead. Lights flickered.
Boos started. Confusion spread.
In the dark, Legend saw them — two men near the breaker box, too calm. Collector's men.
The HUD pulsed.
[Threat Identified: Sabotage Attempt]
Legend snapped $500—Balance: $129,140—slipped it to the DJ. "Backup generator. Now."
The DJ scrambled. Lights surged back. Miles didn't hesitate. He roared into the mic, verse sharp, louder than before. The crowd exploded.
The saboteurs slipped out. Legend followed them into the alley.
One turned, smirked. "Your flow bought this stage. But we own the power."
Legend pumped $200 into Cash Knuckle, dropped him with one swing. The other ran. Legend let him. Message sent.
Back inside, Miles was still rapping, sweat flying, the room alive. He didn't know he'd almost been silenced.
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Scene 2 — Salina's Test
While Miles burned the stage, Salina left to grab wine from a corner store. On the sidewalk, a man stepped into her path — sharp suit, cold smile.
"You're wasting yourself with him," he said. "Legend's a marked man. Men like him die, and women like you get left behind. I can protect you."
Salina's jaw clenched. "You don't know me."
"I know everything. Your old job. Your old address. Even what you drink when you're nervous." He held up her favorite wine. "Collector doesn't lose."
Salina slapped the bottle out of his hand. Glass shattered, red spilling across the pavement. "Then tell your boss this: I don't leave mine."
She pushed past, heart pounding.
The HUD pulsed back in the venue where Legend sat.
[Influence: Salina — Loyalty Proven Under Duress. Absolute.]
Legend didn't know the details yet. But he felt the bond tighten.
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Scene 3 — Syndicate Trap
The next night, the Syndicate boss called. "Legend. Quick run. Brooklyn warehouse. Easy pickup. Ten stacks."
Legend frowned. "Too easy."
"Consider it a thank you," the boss said.
Legend didn't buy it, but he rolled anyway.
The warehouse smelled wrong. Too quiet. He stepped inside. Lights snapped on.
Not Syndicate. Collector's men. At least ten of them, circling.
Legend exhaled smoke. "Figures."
The tallest one stepped forward. "Collector wants to know how far you'll go to keep your secrets."
Legend smirked. "Farther than you can count."
They rushed him.
He snapped $800—Balance: $128,340—and scattered the bills. Greed cracked the circle; two men dove for the cash.
Legend pumped $500 into Cash Knuckle. Two swings, two bodies down. He ducked a blade, snapped $300—Balance: $127,540—and stuffed it in his attacker's mouth before breaking his nose.
The others backed off, muttering. Not beaten, but tested.
The HUD flared.
[Combat Clear | +4,000 XP | Level Up]
Level: 19 → 20
Hourly Income: $2,600/hr
Balance: $127,540
Legend lit a blunt in the chaos, stepping over bodies. "Tell your boss: he can't tax me."
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Scene 4 — Secrets Under Fire
Back home, Salina waited, eyes sharp. "Where were you?"
Legend exhaled smoke. "Work."
Her gaze lingered, suspicious. The HUD flickered.
[Secret Shield Active — Suspicion Suppressed.]
She kissed him, fierce, muttering, "Don't die out there."
Miles stumbled in later, still buzzing from his show. "Bro, you see that crowd? We lit!"
Legend smirked. "You stayed alive. That's all that matters."
Neither of them knew about the ambush. Or his secrets. The HUD kept them safe.
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Scene 5 — The Collector's Shadow
That night, another envelope slid under the door. Inside: photos.
Miles on stage. Salina outside the store. Legend in the warehouse fight.
A note beneath: Chaos is mine. You just rent it.
The HUD screamed.
[System Alert: Collector Penetration Deepening.]
[Secret Shield Stress Level: 82%]
Legend burned the photos, jaw clenched. "Then I'll bankrupt him."
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Closing Beat
The apartment dimmed. Salina curled against him, whispering, "As long as I'm yours."
Miles's music thumped through the wall, raw and alive.
Legend stared at his HUD.
[CASH FLOW | +$2,600 Deposited]
Balance: $130,140
He snapped $200—Balance: $129,940—rolled the bills, flicked them into the jar.
The HUD whispered:
[Chaos Rising. Collector Approaching.]
Legend smirked. "Let him come. I charge interest."