(A/N) [For new readers: The story becomes far better as it progresses, around chapter 25 but very much so around chapter 50. Give it a chance, I promise you, you'll enjoy it.]
Sunlight sliced through the gloom of Arell Rose's cell, casting long shadows across the cold concrete floor. He sat on the edge of his narrow bed, a dog-eared copy of Moby Dick forgotten beside him. The familiar stripes of his red cotton rug offered a splash of color in the otherwise dreary space.
Arell's eyes were fixed on something impossible.
A translucent blue screen hung suspended in the air, pulsating with an otherworldly light. It was unlike anything Arell had ever seen, defying the laws of physics and logic. Curiosity warred with a healthy dose of fear. Had being in jail so long affected him so much that he had gone crazy?
The initial panic, which had even brought a guard rushing in to berate him for the noise, had given way to curiosity. Telling anyone about it would be a fool's errand.
"Floating screens?" he muttered to himself, the absurdity of the situation making him question his own sanity. "Maybe they did put something funny in the food yesterday."
Tentatively, he reached out. His fingers passed through the ethereal display, encountering nothing but cool air With a sigh, Arell's brow furrowed as he studied the text that materialized:
[The RAPPER System.]
Below it, a list of his stats, categorized in a way that sent a jolt through him.
Name: Arell Rose
Alias: N/A
Stats
Strength: 42/100
Agility: 60/100
Stamina: 43/100
Durability: 54/100
Intelligence: 72/100
Charisma: 45/100 (+15 Boost due to mild handsomeness)
Rapper Stats [ Locked]
Hidden Stats [Locked]
Hidden Status's [Locked]
Roulette [Locked]
A wry smile tugged at Arell's lips. "Forty-two strength? I'm that weak?"
He couldn't remember the last time he'd done a push-up, let alone anything resembling a real workout. "Maybe this thing is just a fancy prank," he mused. His thoughts being instantly buried by a suddenly deafening chime erupting from the screen, accompanied by a flash of blinding blue light.
Arell flinched back, his eyes quickly adapting to the change in light. As his vision adjusted, bold text scrolled across the screen.
[HOST WELCOME TO THE RAPPER SYSTEM, THE SYSTEM THAT WILL TAKE YOU FROM A NOBODY TO THE GREATEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME]
Arell ran his eyes across the line of text before, finally, his jaw clenched. "Nobody?" he thought, anger flickering in his eyes. 'Greatest rapper?'
Another message materialized on the screen, seemingly responding to his unspoken thoughts.
[ATTENTION HOST THIS IS THE GREATEST RAPPER SYSTEM, MADE TO CREATE THE NEXT BEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME!]
[Starting Gift Pack Awarded]
[Complimentary Gift Pack Awarded]
[A gift befitting a prodigy Gift Pack Awarded]
Arell stared at the screen, a mixture of skepticism and intrigue bubbling in his gut. "So you're sentient?" He asked the system, based off of the system's response that were based off his thoughts it was logical to assume that the system had some level of sentience.
[You are correct host.]
Arell who's hand was now rubbing against his non existent beard pondered on his next steps, he'd find out what exactly this system was but first-
"How do I access these... gift packs?" he asked aloud.
[You can access all system functions by simply visualizing it or touching the screen]
Arell without wasting a second reached out and tapped the screen without hesitance.
A digital menu unfolded, revealing the contents of the "Starting Gift Pack" and the "Complimentary Gift Pack." Curiosity gnawed at him but he set aside the "A gift befitting a prodigy Gift Pack." That he was sure would be the best of all the packs.
What kind of Gifts would this system give, and what use would they be for him?
He scrolled through the list of the Starting Gift Pack
Rapper Menu Unlocked
General Rap Knowledge (Beginner) (Common)
Voice Enhancement (+2 to voice attribute ) (Trash)
"Spit some bars." Freestyle Technique (Amateur) (Uncommon)
Basic Music Production Knowledge (Beginner) (Common)
...
"Basic knowledge? Voice enhancement? Sounds like you're starting me from scratch," Arell muttered. He had never considered himself a rapper before, but the idea of having a system that was intent on molding him into one was oddly appealing.
He turned his focus back to the Screen back, willing the starter gift pack into the background.
His gaze then shifted to the "Complimentary Gift Pack," its contents shrouded in a shimmering question mark. "Intriguing," he thought, tapping on it. A dramatic pause filled the cell as the screen swirled with blue light. Finally it revealed itself.
"Trap, Rob, Sex, Kill." Chicago Streets: Lyrical Inspiration (Uncommon)
"Walk it like ya talk it." Charisma and Marketability (+20) (Low EPIC)
"Street Soldier." Hand-to-Hand combat skills (Intermediate) (Rare)
Weapon skills (Intermediate) (Rare)
A jolt of surprise surged through Arell.
The contents of the Complimentary Gift Pack were a mixed bag but definitely surprising rewards.
"Trap, Rob, Sex, Kill?" he scoffed, the cliches leaving a bad taste in his mouth although it was no further from the truth. Still was this system in some stereotypical gangster rap phase?
But then came the interesting parts. "Chicago Streets: Lyrical Inspiration" – Which although being uncommon gave him inspiration to draw upon when rapping, if he took this system seriously that is.
"Charisma and Marketability" – that was something he sorely lacked, and a boost in that area could be invaluable. And finally, "Hand-to-Hand combat" and "Weapon skills"? While unexpected in a rap system, these could prove useful.
"A bit all over the place," Arell muttered, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "But all these things could be useful tools."
Arell tapped the screen, selecting "General Rap Knowledge" first. A surge of information flooded his mind – the history of rap, different sub genres, basic rhyme schemes, and the importance of flow. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was a solid foundation to build upon.
Next, he activated "Basic Voice Enhancement." He cleared his throat, then hesitantly spoke into the empty cell. Nothing. His voice sounded the same as it usually did, he should have expected that, after all a '+2' to amounted almost nothing.
He glanced at the "Starting Gift Pack" again. He squinted at the list, his finger hovering over "Freestyle Technique (Amateur)." This seemed like the next logical step. With a tap of the screen, a wave of information washed over him – the importance of improvisation, the art of weaving words on the fly, the power of using the environment to fuel creativity.
He closed his eyes, picturing the grimy streets outside, the clatter of distant sirens, the hoarse shouts echoing off brick walls. He could almost smell the stale air thick with exhaust fumes and desperation.
Taking a deep breath, Arell began to speak, determined to see the affect of the only amateur skill in the pack.
The words tumbled out, at first he was quite hesitant and stumbled on his words, then gaining momentum. He rapped about the flickering streetlights casting long, menacing shadows, the hopelessness etched on the faces of passersby, the constant struggle for survival that gnawed at the soul.
It wasn't perfect, far from it, but it was something, something he happened to not be capable of doing until now. The rhymes were uneven, the flow a bit clunky. But there was a spark there, a flicker of something authentic.
"That wasn't half bad," he muttered to himself, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He couldn't set expectations overly high for himself, he wasn't a polished rapper, by a long shot.
Suddenly, the harsh clang of his cell door being thrown open made his heart jump out of his chest, shattering his moment of peace. A guard stood there, a scowl etched on his face.
"What's all the racket about, Rose?" he barked. "Someone call for a concert in here?"
Arell's heart sank. He hadn't realized he'd been rapping out loud. But then, his defiance welled up within him. He hated being silenced, an abundance of pride others would call it, but to him, it was simply standing up for himself.
"Just practicing my rhymes, officer," he said, his voice steady. "Maybe someday you'll be hearing them on the radio." His pride remaining true.
The guard snorted, a look of disbelief on his face. "Rapper, huh? In jail? Here's some reality, Rose. The only bars you'll be spitting are the ones keeping you locked up, now keep it quiet and stop with all the racket."
He slammed the cell door shut, and although being lit the cell seemed to darker than usual. The guard's words were a challenge, a dare. And Arell, the 'nobody,' was ready to accept it.
Arell's gaze lingered on the shimmering question mark that masked the contents of the "A gift befitting a prodigy Gift Pack." It was the most intriguing of the three, 'befitting a prodigy' the rewards were bound to be good, he hoped. But before he indulged his curiosity, a wave of pragmatism washed over him,
Three days. That's all that stood between him and the steel bars of his cell. Three days until he was released back into the world, a world that he was far from optimistic about returning to, a world that barely remembered him and likely wouldn't welcome him with open arms, especially some of his old "friends".
All that he had to his name was his high school diploma, which was surely tarnished by the events that landed him in juvie, so it certainly wouldn't open many doors for him. Any potential employers would likely scoff at the gaps in his resume, the glaring absence of any real work experience and that was without mention what their reaction would be to what put him behind these bars in the first place.
Discouragement threatened to gnaw at him, but Arell pushed it down. He had this thing now – the RAPPER System. This strange, almost fantastical gift might be his only chance to guarantee his safety after leaving prison, especially if he could get any more rewards like the hand to hand combat.
With that, Arell tapped the screen, selecting the "A gift befitting a prodigy Gift Pack." The screen swirled with an intense Purple light, his heart racing, the anticipation almost unbearable. Finally, the light subsided, revealing the pack's contents.
A flash of blue light, shone across his face before, the interface revealed itself once again.
[System Error]
[Ding!]
[Unable To Locate Pack Contents]
Disbelief washed over Arell as he stared at the red error messages running across the screen. In his disappointment, he repeatedly tapped the screen, hoping for some kind of explanation, but it remained stubbornly blank. He tried visualizing the error message, willing it to explain itself, but nothing happened.
"System, are you there?" he asked, sinking onto the bed. The sting of disappointment radiated from his gut. Nearly a minute passed before he resigned himself to sighing, but not before a flash of light erupted from the screen.
A message materialized, its tone oddly apologetic.
[Attention Host. Unexpected System Overload. Error Caused by Integration of Unforeseen Elements within Prodigy Pack. Attempting System Reboot.]
[System Reboot… 5%… 12%… 47%…]
The percentage climbed slowly, each tick a tiny hammer blow against his heart.
[System Reboot… 89%… 97%…]
[System Reboot Successful. Welcome Back, Host.] [Prodigy Gift Pack - Corrupted] [Attempting to Uncorrupt - Estimated Time: 8 hours]
Eight hours. He'd have to wait eight long hours before he could open the gift pack, an annoying prospect but far better than a complete loss, he mused. An insistent clanging shattered the focus. Coincidentally enough, the breakfast bell echoed through the long hallways of his sector, swallowing the background chatter of other inmates whole.
With a tired yawn, Arell rose from his bed and shuffled towards the cell door.
A heavy thud against the metal door almost startled him. "Rose, get your slippers on, breakfast time."
Arell backed up slightly from the door. "Yeah, yeah."
The metallic clang of keys echoed as the guard unlocked the door. A burly man with a shaved head stood there, a bored expression etched on his face.
"Get to the line," the guard grunted, gesturing down the hallway.
Arell hesitated for a moment. "Any word on my release?" The guard raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Three days, kid. Same as yesterday." Disappointment gnawed at Arell, but he forced a smile. "Alright, thanks."
He shuffled past the guard, and as he walked toward the line of his cellmates, he heard the burly man call out behind him, "Rose, don't go singing in the canteen now, wouldn't want them boys finding something else to mock you about." His voice carried a hint of both concern and mockery.
He turned back, flashing the guard a slight smile before heading toward the line.
(Scene Break)
The air grew thick with the cloying smell of cafeteria food as they neared the large metal doors. A host of shouts, laughter, and clanging trays assaulted his ears. This was no five-star restaurant, but at least it wasn't a dump. Still, this was the harsh reality of prison life.
As he steadily walked through the canteen carrying his tray of food, composed of mashed potatoes and a variety of vegetables, he was met with stares from other inmates. 'Just a bunch of teens trying their hardest to appear tough,' he chuckled inwardly.
It wasn't long before he spotted three cellmates he happened to be familiar with a few tables down.
The three cellmates he recognized were huddled around a single, dented metal table. There was Malik, a wiry guy with a mischievous glint in his eyes, always hustling to fill his pockets. Beside him sat Devon, a quiet guy with a surprisingly calm spirit, the least you'd expect considering his tough demeanor. And lastly, closest to Arell, was Kenny, an overly athletic person who always seemed to have a grin plastered on his face.
These people weren't only close inside jail but on the outside as well. Unsurprisingly, as Arell grew up with each of these people, each lending support to one another throughout the difficulties they faced while growing up in Chicago. They used to be part of a larger friend group, but unfortunate circumstances set them apart. 'Fortunate for the others, unfortunate for us four,' he thought.
His thoughts were cut short by a familiar voice. "Well, if it ain't the breakfast club's newest member. You got the mystery mash, Rose?" Malik looked up, a sly grin spreading across his face.
Arell chuckled, "The usual, Malik. Just the usual." He gestured to his tray, the unappetizing slop littering his tray barely concealing his lack of appetite.
Devon nodded silently, scooting over on the rickety bench to make room. "I don't know why they feed us this trash, can't we get something semi-decent for once?" Kenny added in," The rest of the crew grumbled their thoughts clearly aligning with Kenny's.
"Heard you were free styling in your cell, Mr. Rose," Malik said with a sly grin creeping onto his face. Arell felt a flush creep up his neck. The memory of his rapping sent a wave of self-consciousness crashing over him. "Yeah, just messing around, you know."
Devon snorted. "Messing around, huh? Sounded more old dog whining." The rest of the group chuckled as Arell winced, "Come on guys it wasn't that bad, you're lucky our cells are right next yours Arell, the rest of inmates would of been flaming you." Kenny said with a chuckle.
"On God, they'd be roasting you," Malik added, his grin widening.
As the four cellmates engaged in their conversation, the cafeteria noise faded into the background. Devon finally brought up the underlying question on everyone's mind.
So Arell, why exactly were you free styling?" Devon's question hung in the air, each person staring at Arell, interested in what he'd have to say.
And he had no idea what to say, he still didn't know what exactly the purpose of this system was, well he did, but did it make sense trying to be a rapper of all things? Especially given their circumstances?
"When I- no, we get out of here," Arell began, his voice low but resolute, "I've been thinking about rapping."
Silence reigned as the others around the table stared dumbfoundedly at Arell. His response was unexpected.
"A rapper, huh?" Malik finally broke the silence, a thoughtful frown etched on his face. "Never would've pegged you for it." Arell had braced himself for more teasing, but Malik's tone wasn't mocking. There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Yeah," Arell admitted, but before he could continue the screen appeared in front of him along with soft bell, almost startling him.
[Quest!]
"I'ma make it, so we all could make it."
Convince your ONLY friends to leave Chicago, alongside you to begin anew
Reward: [ A Fully furnished three bedroom apartment with a studio alongside decent
equipment located in Atlanta and a free bus ride]
Failure: [ Your old accomplices have both you and your friends murdered ]
A both mandatory yet realistic task Arell thought, as he was staring at the screen 'Isn't this way to big of a reward? and why Atlanta?'
"You good Arell?" Kenny asked, seeing that he was staring into nothingness.
'Convince your friends to leave Chicago alongside you and begin anew' the sentence repeated in Arell's mind.
With a nervous edge to his voice he spoke up again. "I, uh, been thinking, you know, about what would happen when we all get out." He felt a familiar heat creep up his neck, a darkness creeping up into the depths of his eyes, mirroring the bleakness they all knew too well.
"We know what's in store for us, especially after what happened," he continued, his voice low. "Chicago's already dangerous, and now? We'd be marked men if we stayed here after we got out. No money, no protection, no family to fall back on. Even if we did, they're probably already too dysfunctional to take us in."
Devon leaned forward. "Yeah, we got nothing but each other," he said, his voice echoing Arell's despair. "So what are you saying, Arell?"
Malik snorted. "Yeah what-are-you-saying-Arell," His words drawn out, "Use your prison rhymes to scare away trouble?" He jokingly mocked.
Arell bristled, but before he could retort, Kenny, usually the most jovial of the group, spoke up. "Hold on, Malik. Maybe there's something to what Arell's saying, lets hear him out." He looked at Arell, who stared back at them, his eyes reflecting his appreciation.
"Thanks, Kenny," Arell said, his voice gaining conviction. "Listen, guys, what if I can do something with this? I mean, what else is there for us out there?" The group fell silent, each face etched with a thoughtful frown. They all knew the truth of Arell's words.
"It's crazy enough that we got set up and landed here," he continued, his voice low. "And even if we get out they'll be waiting for us, for what we know." A heavy silence descended upon the table. The threat hung in the air, a stark reminder of the precarious situation they faced.
"We were lucky," Arell conceded, his voice tinged with a touch of grim humor. "Lucky they didn't have enough evidence to bury us deeper. Lucky we're all getting out at the same time. But then what?" He gestured around the table, his gaze meeting each of their eyes in turn. "Go back to the same streets and try to out gun a bunch of people, with no guns to our name mind you? Work at McDonald's and hope it doesn't all explode again?" He whispered.
The question hung heavy in the air. Arell didn't need an answer. They all knew the answer. It was a dead-end path leading back to the same darkness.
"I'm with you, Arell." Kenny's voice cut through the silence that hung heavily in the air.
He glanced around the table, taking in the expressions of his friends. Malik, usually the quickest to scoff, wore a thoughtful frown, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Devon, remained stoic, but a hint of curiosity flickered in his gaze.
"Yeah, man," Kenny continued, leaning forward with an earnestness that surprised even Arell. "We ain't got nothin' to lose, right? We're already staring down the barrel of a bad situation when we get out. Why not take a shot at something different?" However Devon who seemed to have thoughts elsewhere spoke up "Kenny, Arell, this sounds good and all but... how? We don't have anywhere to go."
"Actually…" Arell drawn out, "We do, uh.." his thoughts running rampant to create a good explanation about the apartment as the others all turned switched their focus to him, "Uh- my uncle, yeah, my uncle who I didn't know about, and didn't know about me, until the news of my grandmother's death reached him…ironically enough he happened to have passed away a week ago and left his paid for, apartment, for me since he had no other family." A collective eyebrow raise rippled across the table, "An inheritance, huh?" Malik said, his voice dripping with skepticism.
"Yeah. My mom never mentioned him, but apparently, he was her estranged brother. Lawyer showed up a few days ago, paperwork and everything." Devon, remained unconvinced. "Even if it's real," he said, his voice low, "a apartment might be a roof over our heads, but it won't get us money, or out of Chicago."
Arell forced a smile. "Not exactly a mansion," he admitted. "But it's a place to start, right? I mean, we could set up a studio, it'll be a place to record, a place to strategize, and we can figure things out as we go." He looked at each of them in turn.
A flicker of hope seemed to ignite in Kenny's eyes. "He's right," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "We got nothing to lose, and potentially everything to gain. Besides, how bad could a free house be, right?" Malik, still unconvinced, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, Rose," he finally conceded. "You've got us intrigued. But before we start planning world tours, let's see this place first. If it's a dump, this whole rap dream goes up in smoke, understand?"
[Quest Completed!]
Arell let out a sigh of relief. "Deal," he said, a genuine smile breaking across his face for the first time in what felt like forever. "Deal. But trust me, this place might just be our ticket out."
The next few hours flew by, with Arell and his friends occupying themselves with a few games of basketball, lunch quickly followed before Arell found himself in a familiar scenery, staring at his bed, well, not exactly.
[Attention Host]
[The Prodigy Pack has been successfully been uncorrupted]
[To Compensate the host for this error, hidden quality has been upgraded from Uncommon >>> Rare >> Extremely Rare > Low Epic to, Uncommon >>> Rare >> Low Epic > Epic]
[Are you read to open the pack?]
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