Harem Streamer System: Every Crime I Broadcast Wins Me a Superheroine - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Explosive Conclusion
Abandoned Military Compound, Meteor City…

The television buzzed with canned laughter as Mist clutched a popcorn bowl as her body shook with laughter.

“Oh my God! Ted is such an idiot!”

Mist wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

“How does someone fumble a girl like Robin? She’s like… kinda, perfect!”

On the other end of the sagging sofa, Dark Elf nodded slowly with her crimson eyes closed in what could only be described as her version of a laugh. She was impossibly still, but the slight twitch at the corner of her lips gave her away.

“It’s just one of those things…”

Dark Elf tossed a popcorn kernel into her mouth.

She chewed thoughtfully.

“But if we’re talking characters, I prefer Marshall. The guy’s solid. Dedicated to his fiancée—and I read a few posts online that said he turns out to be a great father, too.”

Mist blinked, then nodded eagerly.

“Okay, I’ll give you that. Marshall’s like… the ultimate husband material. But can we all agree the real horrible person here is Barney? Like, seriously. Who does that many horrible things to women? And with a name like Barney?!”

Dark Elf smirked mildly, then popped another kernel into her small mouth.

“I kinda like him, actually.”

Mist’s expression shifted to a horrified frown.

“No way. Absolutely not. He’s a horrible—ugh! He’d be better off dead!”

Dark Elf shrugged, unbothered.

“At least he’s not a bully.”

“HEY──!” Mist glared at her, indignant.

Dark Elf reached out and patted Mist on the shoulder with an exaggerated calmness.

“Relax…”

She said with a low yawn.

“Now, pass me the water.”

Muttering under her breath, Mist grabbed the bottle and handed it over.

Dark Elf sat upright and twisted the cap open, but just as she was about to take a sip, her ears twitched.

She froze and her posture stiffened.

Mist tilted her head as her brows furrowed.

“What’s wrong?”

Dark Elf’s eyes narrowed as her gaze darted to the boarded-up window.

“I can’t believe it.”

Mist sat up straighter as she grew more concerned.

“What? What is it?”

Dark Elf stood abruptly as she shoved the water bottle aside, and reached for the weapons strewn across the table. She strapped a pair of knives to her thighs, secured her special retractable swords on her, and locked her shuriken pouch on the side of her curvy hips.

“Mist… your teammate. Nightwatch. He’s here.”

Mist blinked, then her face lit up with relief.

“He came! I knew he’d come for me!”

Dark Elf whipped around.

“No. That’s a bad thing.”

Mist’s smile faltered.

“Huh?”

She tilted her head, trying to piece it together.

Then her face brightened again.

“Ohhh, I get it. Because now that he’s here, you’ll have to pull out of this whole contract, right?”

Dark Elf scowled.

“No, idiot. Listen to me. If it were Grave or Trickshot coming here, they wouldn’t need stealth tech. They’d make their entrance loud and clear. But the fact it’s Nightwatch means Grave already knows he’s here—and he didn’t bother to warn me.”

Mist shrugged, still clutching the popcorn.

“Maybe he doesn’t know? Nightwatch is pretty good at what he does.”

Dark Elf shook her head vehemently as she slung a crossbow over her shoulder.

“Grave’s on a different level entirely. Trust me, he knows. And the fact he didn’t warn me means he’s planning to blow this entire compound to hell the second Nightwatch sets foot inside.”

Mist shot to her feet, her face pale.

“WHAT?! But… B-, But I thought you guys were allies or something?!”

“We’re not allies. Grave doesn’t give a damn about me, you, or anyone else. All he cares about is getting the job done, no matter what. And that means we need to leave. Now.”

Dark Elf bolted up the stairs with soundless footsteps.

Clutching the popcorn bowl like her life depended on it, Mist stumbled after her.

“Wait! Wait! What’s the plan?! Where are we even going?! Uhh, Elfie──?!”

Dark Elf didn’t bother looking back.

“Plan? There’s no plan. We get out of here before this place turns into a crater.”

Mist groaned tiredly.

Her legs burned as she struggled to keep up.

“I liked it better when we were just watching sitcoms…”

Dark Elf glanced over her shoulder.

“Yeah, well. Welcome to reality, princess.”

Ahead of them, the Automated Stealth Vehicle that Scott had sent was inching closer.

But, the couldn’t see it… yet.

━ ━ ━ ━

Scott froze as he stared at Rope Girl, who stared back at him with those cold, calculating black eyes.

The two stood in complete silence.

Neither said a word.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Scott’s heart hammered in his chest.

He could feel the judgment radiating from the chat.

—

[HELLO?! SAY SOMETHING!]

[This is PAINFUL. MOVE, NIGHTWATCH.]

[Oh my God, if he fumbles this, I’m gonna lose it.]

[SHE NEVER TALKS TO ANYONE. BRO, SHE ASKED YOU A QUESTION. DO SOMETHING.]

[Rope Girl doesn’t even talk to her agent, and now she’s out here chatting with YOU?! NIGHTWATCH, IF YOU SCREW THIS UP, YOU’RE DONE.]

[This is why some of y’all stay single 💀💀💀]

[He’s just standing there… menacingly.]

[HOLY HELL, ROPE GIRL IS TALKING TO HIM. THIS IS RARE FOOTAGE.]

[WHAT DO YOU MEAN “SAY YOUR NAME”? SAY YOU FRIGGIN’ LOVE HER.]

—

Rope Girl was undeniably beautiful, but Scott wasn’t too distracted by her looks right now.

『Beautiful women… I’ve seen enough of those…』

His mind was more focused on figuring out his next move, though her sudden appearance did add an unexpected twist to the situation.

He blinked and finally broke the silence.

“Eh, sorry… come again?”

Rope Girl didn’t so much as flinch. Calmly, she shifted her weight onto her other hip and her suit creaked ever so slightly as the bold red straps emphasized her massive curves.

“I said… what’s your name?”

Her voice was cool, measured, and sharp as a blade.

Scott opened his mouth, about to a reply, but before he could answer, CAT interrupted.

[CAT: Priority alert. Grave located approximately 200 meters southwest. Visual feed from Drone 8 is available.]

Scott didn’t hesitate.

“Uhh, catch you later──!!”

He turned on his heel and bolted toward the location, leaving Rope Girl mid-sentence.

“Wait!”

She raised a hand to stop him and her fingers curled slightly as though she wanted to grab onto him. But it was too late… Scott was already disappearing down the street.

“… He could’ve at least said his name…”

Rope Girl muttered to herself.

“These new heroes really need some manners.”

Her brows pressed together as she watched him go.

Meanwhile…

The Peak had been watching the exchange, still cuffed and thoroughly unimpressed. He shifted his hands against the unyielding restraints and let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Man, this is fuckin’ ridiculous.”

He glanced at the inhibitor collar on his neck.

“This damn thing’s making it impossible to use my powers. I’m so fuckin’ pissed at this shit!”

Rope Girl walked over to him without a word. Her cold, empty eyes locked onto his and sent a tantalizing shiver down his shaky spine.

“Uh…”

The Peak chuckled nervously.

“You don’t need to look at me like that, darling. I’ll break out of this any second now.”

She didn’t respond.

Instead, she swiped her hand down and tore the metal cuffs with ease like they were made of paper.

“Next time, try not to cuss so much. It’s disgusting.”

She said flatly.

She turned to leave, but The Peak couldn’t help himself.

Grinning through his bloody teeth, he called out.

“Hey, you’ve got a thick, juicy a—”

… WHAM!

Her knee slammed into his groin with brutal precision, and The Peak collapsed to the ground, wheezing.

“Filth…”

She stepped over his writhing body and walked away.

“Worth it…”

The Peak groaned with tears and a smile on his face.

━ ━ ━ ━

Meanwhile, Scott dashed through the streets as the comments in his livestream blew up.

[YOU LEFT HER?!]

[This man is hopeless. I’m never watching this stream ever again. EVER.]

[Rope Girl asked for his NAME, and he ran off. 💀]

[Okay, but maybe he’s playing the long game? Idk.]

[Bro, if she talked to me, I’d never shower again.]

[Ignoring women is NOT a flex. Do better, man.]

[Leave him alone, chat. He’s got priorities and y’all need to understand that. Grave > Simping.]

[Real heroes stay focused on the mission. Y’all wouldn’t understand. Dumb MFs (´-ι_-｀)…]

—

Scott ignored the chaos in his feed as his eyes continued to scan the area.

“Where is he…?”

A voice suddenly rang out behind him, chillingly familiar.

“Looking for me?”

Scott spun around to see Grave standing in the middle of the street. The man’s dark trench coat billowed slightly in the wind, and the visor of high-tech helmet glowed red.

Scott frowned.

“Where’d you get that shitty fit? Looks like a knockoff general uniform from Star Conflicts.”

Grave shook his head, greatly unimpressed.

“I’m not here to talk.”

Before Scott could reply, Grave tilted his head slightly, as if listening to someone.

The faint crackle of a comm line buzzed in his ear.

“GRAVE! What the hell are you still doing there? I just got word that Rope Girl’s active in your region. You need to leave. Now.”

“But I have target B in sight…” Grave replied coolly.

“I don’t give a damn about target B! All that matters is Elena Vargas dead and the technophages in my hands. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal…”

Grave muttered as he straightened his posture.

[WAIT, WHO THE HELL IS THIS DUDE TALKING TO?!]

[LMAO, he’s out here acting so nonchalant but he’s just a friggin’ henchmen. Comedic asf! 😭]

[Grave just lost so much aura points it’s crazy. 💀]

[Keyboard warriors: “Grave ain’t scary.” Reality: He’d kill y’all on sight.]

[Doesn’t matter who’s calling the shots, Grave’s still a menace. Argue with a wall.]

[Target B? Who’s target B?!]

—

Grave stood upright, then brushed off his coat.

“We’ll finish this another time, Nightwatch.”

Scott chuckled. “What’s the matter? Scared?”

“Not in the slightest.”

The man in black and red pulled out a small remote from his pocket and nodded.

“You must’ve heard by now. Elena Vargas is dead.”

Scott’s breath hitched.

The words cut deep, but he forced himself to stay composed no matter what.

Beneath his mask, his teeth were gritting.

“And so what? It was bound to happen eventually.”

Grave chuckled in the empty street.

“Good…”

His gloved hand waved the sleek, compact remote.

“I prefer it this way.”

With a press of a button, a red holographic screen projected above the remote and displayed an aerial view of an abandoned military compound.

Scott’s heart sank as he recognized it.

His voice trembled with suppressed rage.

“You wouldn’t.”

Grave’s grin widened. If only Scott could see it.

“I hope you don’t mind if I add two more to the list.”

Scott’s eyes widened under his mask.

“Mist and your ally, Dark Elf, are there!”

“If only I cared…”

“You bastard… I knew you guys were going to do this from the beginning, yet somehow I thought…”

Grave cut him off with a calm but menacing tone.

“You thought Trickshot would underestimate you? He did. But I didn’t. As if someone of your caliber couldn’t produce a stealth vehicle or team to break her out of there the moment we left the compound. Oh c’mon, I wouldn’t look down on your abilities, that would be an insult, wouldn’t it?”

Scott’s hands balled into fists.

“What do you want, Grave?!”

Grave’s visor glinted ominously. “To break you.”

Before Scott could react, the holographic display showed the compound erupting in a massive explosion. Flames and debris shot into the sky as the structure crumbled into ash. The Automated Stealth Vehicle on its way to the compound was caught just shy of the blast radius and veered off course.

Scott fell to his knees as his body trembled.

He stared at the ground with an incapacitated mind.

Grave’s voice was like a ghost in the wind.

“We’ll meet again.”

With that, Grave disappeared into the shadows.

[What just happened?!]

[HE BLEW THEM UP?!]

[OMG. MIST. NOOOOOO.]

[This is so messed up. Nightwatch, why the fuck didn’t you stop him?!]

[BRUH. YOU HAD ONE JOB.]

[Okay, but like… was this preventable?]

[How’s he supposed to prevent an explosion? Y’all are trippin.]

[😭 Rip Mist and Dark Elf. They too good for this world.]

[Oh no… Mist… I can’t believe it.]

[Bro. I can’t even watch this anymore.]

[He’s just sitting there… SAY SOMETHING, MAN.]

[Somebody drop condolences. This is so awkward.]

[… Should we donate or something?]

—

Scott barely noticed the chaos in the chat.

His eyes stayed glued to the scorched ground as a single thought played on repeat in his mind.

『What have I done?』

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past him, and Emma appeared in her hazmat suit wrinkling awkwardly as she struck an exaggerated stretch.

Her smile was as bright as ever.

“Heya!”

Her angelic voice chirped.

“Feeling so much better now that my speed’s back! Some scientists from MegaCorp got me the antidote so I’m feeling way, wayyy, better! Absolute magic!”

She twiddled her thumbs and looked at Scott shyly.

“Sooo… uh, can we, y’know… kiss now?”

Scott lifted his gaze, his voice hollow. “She’s dead.”

Emma blinked. “Uh… who’s dead?”

“Mist.” Scott’s voice cracked. “She’s dead.”

Emma’s bright smile vanished instantly.

Her eyes went wide with shock as she dropped to her knee, then crawled over to him. Wrapping her arms around his head, she pulled him close to her chest so he could lay his tired head on her breasts.

“Shh… don’t worry about anything…”

Emma murmured in soft and soothing way.

“Y-, You’ll be fine, okay? You’ll be fine.”

Scott buried his face deeper into her chest as his body vibrated with anger.

[System Notice: Subject Mist is in critical condition. Confirmed not deceased.]

Scott’s head snapped up. “She’s not dead?!”

Emma flinched.

“Wha-, What’s wrong?!”

She sniffed herself.

“Do I smell?! NO! I promise I shower three times a day! It’s definitely the gas!”

Scott waved her off with a quick, placating gesture and pulled off his mask.

“What do you mean she’s not dead?”

[REPLAYING SATELLITE FEED…]

A video clip appeared on his HUD, showing Dark Elf pulling Mist out of the compound just before the explosion.

Scott let out a shaky exhale as relief flooded his mind.

“Activate stealth-tech override. Redirect the ASV to Woodhull Private Hospital. Now.”

[Affirmative.]

The chat was in shambles.

[Wait… WHAT?!]

[She’s ALIVE?!]

[What is even going on rn? 😩]

[Bro, I can’t keep up with this rollercoaster.]

[Okay, but Dark Elf? MVP.]

[Nightwatch: From zero to hero.]

[Chat, are we sure this isn’t all staged? Like, what even was that explosion timing?]

└ [Bro, don’t be dumb for fuck’s sake. 💀]

└ [Likeeee, fr. It’s obviously not fake. Ugh.]

[Not gonna lie, I’m emotionally drained.]

—

Scott turned and sprinted back toward the hotel.

Emma called after him. “Wait! Where are you going?!”

“To get my car. I have to get to Meteor City!”

Scott shouted without slowing down.

Emma zipped in front of him in a blur, hands on her hips.

“Babe, chill. I can take you there. I’ve got my speed back, remember?”

Scott paused, slightly thrown off, then nodded.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Emma grinned, scooped him up in her arms, and zoomed off, leaving the chat to spiral into confusion.

[What just happened?]

[My screen went black for a moment…]

[Can someone explain the last few secs? My brain is fried.]

[I think it was technical issues or something… yunno, since everyone’s screen went dark. 🤔]

└ [Yeahhh, that’s probably it!]

[This is why I subbed. Best stream ever.]

━ ━ ━ ━

Destroyed Military Compound, Meteor City…

Dark Elf held an unconscious Mist in her arms as she tried to shake her awake, but there was no response.

“Mist! MIST! MIST!”

She shouted her name several times, but there was still no response. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Mist was still breathing and her heart was beating, Dark Elf would’ve said she was as good as dead.

She herself was in bad condition, but Mist was worse.

Half of Mist’s face was burned, and her super suit was badly burned as well. Considering high heat was one of her biggest weaknesses, it made sense that she had suffered such great damage.

Dark Elf gritted her teeth in frustration.

“High heat disrupts vapor…”

She couldn’t forget that statement, especially now.

Just then, the Automated Stealth Vehicle drove right in front of Dark Elf, and all four of its doors opened.

“Huh…?”

That was all a confused Dark Elf could say.