Chapter 21: Vegas Showdown
The Las Vegas Strip blazed like a fever dream, its neon kaleidoscope cutting through the desert night as the tour van pulled up to The Chelsea, a sleek 2,000-capacity venue pulsing with Rebel Rising Tour energy. It was Friday night, the penultimate stop before the extended LA finale, one day after the New York triumph that had pushed "Chi-Town Chains" to 200,000 streams and buried Lily Voss's Webster Hall flop. The Hitmaker System's interface glowed on Sam Rivers' phone, its holographic text a steady pulse: "Mission Progress: 100%. Objective: Confront Jake Harlan in Vegas to seal Eclipse's defeat. Target: 75,000 streams for 'Chi-Town Chains' post-performance. Reward: Industry Influence Module (Level 2). Warning: Eclipse's direct confrontation imminent—high risk of app exposure. Counter-strategy: Leverage fanbase and expose Jake's tactics live."
New York's Bowery Ballroom had been a seismic victory—#IndieRebels trended globally, outpacing #StarlightReign, and fan clips of Sam's raw onstage rebuttal to Lily's "villain" narrative had racked up millions of views. The Seattle sabotage clip and Denver's thunder-fueled set kept Eclipse on the ropes, with Javier prepping the sound booth logs and tech statement for the hearing in two days. But Eclipse's subpoena had escalated—they'd won access to Sam's phone metadata and were now demanding a deposition to "examine proprietary software." Lily's latest X post, a somber "My truth is my music. Vegas tonight. #StarlightReign," signaled a parallel show at The Joint, a direct challenge to split the narrative. Jake Harlan's text—"Hand over the app"—hinted he knew too much about the Hitmaker System.
Sam adjusted his guitar case strap, the Chelsea's marquee blazing: "Sam Rivers & Mia Torres: Rebel Rising Tour." Fans swarmed the entrance, their #IndieRebels signs glowing under casino lights, chanting "Break the chains!" Mia, in a black tank top scrawled with "Rebel Rising" in silver marker, fist-bumped a group of teens. "Vegas, baby!" she called. "Ready to burn Eclipse down?"
Sam's jaw was tight, the weight of Jake's threat heavy. "They're not just coming for the show—they're after the system. If they get it, we're done."
Mia's eyes blazed. "Then we hit harder. Call Jake out onstage, expose his game. The fans'll eat it up."
The system pinged: "Confrontation Strategy: Publicly challenge Jake Harlan during set. Projected impact: +50% fan mobilization." Sam nodded, texting the #IndieRebels chat: "Vegas rebels, Eclipse's boss is here tonight. Spot him, call it out. We're ending this. #RebelRising." Replies surged: "Got eyes on The Chelsea!" "No suits sneaking through!"
Inside, the venue was a polished beast—high ceilings, LED screens, a stage rigged with Soundwave's pyrotechnics. Tara, the stage manager, met them backstage, her clipboard a constant. "Security's tight—no sign of Greg or Eclipse goons yet. But Lily's show at The Joint's pulling 1,000, half our crowd. They're live-streaming too, splitting the buzz."
Sam cursed. "They're trying to steal the narrative. We need to go big—bigger than New York."
Leo, at the soundboard, grinned. "Got backups for backups. System's locked down—no cable tricks here." Dani set up cameras, capturing pre-show chaos for KXLA's stream. Jax Windy, back for another cameo, vibed in the green room, tweaking his rap for "Chi-Town Chains" with Vegas swagger: Desert nights, we ignite the fight.
Soundcheck was electric, the system enhancing "City Lights" with a neon shimmer to match the Strip: We'll carve our names in the city lights. Mia's harmonies soared, Jax's freestyle a fiery undercurrent. The setlist was locked: "Rebel's Anthem," "Faded Whispers," "Unsilenced," "Chi-Town Chains" with Jax, "Break the Chains," "City Lights," and "Seven Nation Army" to close. The system suggested a mid-set bombshell: reveal the sabotage evidence live.
By 9 p.m., The Chelsea was a furnace—2,000 fans packed in, the stream launching at 12,000 viewers. A local desert-rock band, Neon Cactus, opened with gritty riffs, priming the crowd. Fan texts buzzed: "Suits at the bar—security's on 'em!" "Lily's stream's lagging—#IndieRebels winning!"
Lights crashed down, and Sam, Mia, and Jax stormed the stage, pyrotechnics sparking like a casino jackpot. Sam grabbed the mic, voice a blade. "Vegas! This is our showdown. Eclipse stole my songs, my trust, and now they're after our fire. Their boss, Jake Harlan, is here tonight, pulling strings. Let's show him what rebels do!"
The crowd roared, shaking the rafters. "Rebel's Anthem" detonated, fans moshing under flashing LEDs, Mia's guitar a siren wail. The stream hit 15,000, comments wild: "Call out Jake!" "#EclipseExposed!"
"Faded Whispers" hushed the chaos, its ache a desert wind, Sam and Mia's chemistry raw—her hand brushing his, a spark fans caught on camera, trending instantly. "Unsilenced" reignited the fury, ukulele to rock explosion, the crowd chanting like a war cry.
Mid-set, Sam paused, the system urging: "Expose now." He held up his phone, the Seattle sabotage screenshot projected on screens. "This is Eclipse's game—cutting our sound in Seattle, bribing techs. Jake Harlan's here, thinking he can scare us. Jake, you listening? The truth's out!" The crowd booed Eclipse, chanting "Indie Rebels!" Fan phones lit up X: "Jake's BUSTED!" "#EclipseSabotage!"
A ripple in the crowd—security escorted a suit out, Jake's assistant. The stream surged to 20,000. "Chi-Town Chains" brought Jax out, his rap a Vegas blaze: Desert nights, we ignite the fight, / Eclipse falls under rebel light. The crowd roared, pyrotechnics flashing, Mia and Jax trading bars.
"Break the Chains" was a seismic chant, fans jumping in sync. "City Lights" glowed with neon intensity, the Strip's skyline on screens, fans singing Concrete nights like a vow. The system countered a power flicker—Eclipse again?—keeping the show alive.
"Seven Nation Army" closed, the riff a casino quake, pyrotechnics raining gold. Encore: "Sparks in the Dark," acoustic, Sam and Mia's voices intertwining, a quiet defiance. The crowd begged for more, but the clock was ticking.
Backstage, Rachel hugged them. "Lily's show tanked—half her crowd left for ours. 'Chi-Town Chains' at 60,000 streams already. LA's 3,000-cap now—sold out."
Javier called, voice urgent: "Jake's deposition demand is tomorrow. They're hinting at a settlement—back off or they'll seize the app. That stunt tonight? Genius, but it's a red flag to them."
Sam's heart raced. The system chimed: "Mission Complete: 75,000 streams achieved. Reward: Industry Influence Module (Level 2)." New contacts flooded—festival heads, indie execs. But Jake's text hit: "Vegas was a stunt. Hand over the app, or we take everything."
Mia grabbed his arm. "LA's our home turf. We end this there—blow the roof off."
The system warned: "Final objective: LA finale to crush Eclipse's campaign. Prepare for direct app assault." As the van rolled toward California, Vegas's neon fading, Sam felt the stakes rising. The rebellion was a wildfire, but Jake was bringing gasoline.