Harem Streamer System: Every Crime I Broadcast Wins Me a Superheroine - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Growth and Doubts
Woodhull Private Hospital, Meteor City…

It was 9:05 p.m.

Quite late.

But, Gwen’s eyes finally fluttered open.

She squinted as her head throbbed like someone had dropped a boulder on it. Blinking away the haze, she noticed three familiar faces surrounding her bed.

Tess sat on her right as she bit her lower lip with worry.

Looking just as worried was Grace who sat on the left.

Ken stood at the foot of the bed with arms crossed, and a strong but slightly anxious face.

Gwen groaned softly.

“What’s going on?”

She grabbed her throbbing head.

“Wh-, Why are you all staring at me like that?”

Grace leaned closer.

“You passed out, Gwen. You’ve been out for hours.”

Her tone was quite gentle.

“Oh…”

Gwen’s other hand shot up to her temple as a sharp pain lanced through her skull. Flashes of memory assaulted her to piece together the fragments of what had happened.

“I remember now… Scott…”

Before she could finish, Ken’s hand covered hers.

His touch was soft but firm.

“Don’t think about that guy. He’s not worth it. He’s a worthless loser.”

“Ken──!!”

Tess snapped as she shot him a warning glare.

“Watch your mouth. You shouldn’t talk about your brother like that.”

Ken exhaled sharply and faced her.

“Stop calling that bastard my brother. He’s not related to us. Not by blood, not by anything that matters. And you know what? It’s better this way. It’s better that he stays scarce in our lives.”

Gwen yanked her hand out of Ken’s grasp.

To her, his words were completely abominable.

“Don’t you dare call Scott a bastard!”

Her chest heaved with each word.

“If anyone’s wrong here, it’s all of you! How can you sit there and act like you don’t know how difficult his life’s been?!”

No one answered her.

Tess’s gaze dropped to the floor as a means to hide the deep sense of shame she felt.

『I shouldn’t have let him go like that･･･』

That was all her mind kept saying.

Gwen grit her teeth and continued through the frustration and pain breaking her voice apart.

“Was it really that hard for any of you to act mature for once? To put all this garbage behind you?! Martha begged us… begged Dad… t-, to treat him better, to show him the love she couldn’t give him. And yeah, maybe we tried, but it wasn’t enough! It was never enough!”

Her hands clenched the bedsheet.

“Scott still feels like he’s alone. And you know what’s worse? He looks even more alone when he’s with us!”

The room dived into a suffocating silence.

Tess bit her lip as her fingers slowly dug into the fabric of her skirt.

Grace looked like she wanted to speak but didn’t dare.

Even Ken, who was always quick to talk, remained quiet.

After what felt like an eternity, Ken finally spoke.

Naturally, he was defensive.

“And how can you lie there and shout at us like Mom didn’t do enough for him?!”

His voice climbed a mountain of anger.

“You’re just defending him because you’ve had a crush on him since forever. But guess what, Gwen? It’s pathetic. Especially now that he’s running around with older women. You think Emma’s not married? Use your head for once!”

“Shut up!”

Gwen’s voice rang out and startled all of them.

Tears burned in her eyes as she stared at Ken.

“I don’t have a crush on Scott!”

Her voice wavered.

“I… I love that son of a bitch!”

Ken opened his mouth to respond, but Gwen cut him off as her words spilled out in a desperate rush.

“And just because he’s with someone else doesn’t mean I’m going to sit here and accept it! I love him, Ken. I love him so much it hurts. And I’ll never be ashamed of that! Love isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s proof that we’re growing!”

No one dared to respond.

They were all stunned by Gwen’s words.

And perhaps… it wasn’t in a bad way.

『Why do I get this feeling she’s… changed?』

Tess looked at her daughter in great shock.

━ ━ ━ ━

Emma’s Mansion, Metro City…

Emma lounged on her plush leather couch with a massive bowl of popcorn balanced on her lap.

Marcus sat beside her, popping kernels into his mouth with an almost robotic flow.

They were watching a black-and-white movie.

The doorbell rang and its chime spread throughout the luxurious mansion.

Emma raised an eyebrow and mindlessly nudged Marcus with her elbow.

“Go get it, virgin. It’s probably Jenna and Nadia.”

Marcus groaned and tossed another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

“You’ve got superspeed. You could open it and be back in like… before I blink.”

Emma chuckled as she chewed.

“Hmmm, I could also freeze your credit card before you blink. Your choice.”

Marcus grumbled under his breath as he stood up, trudging to the door. He pulled it open, revealing Jenna and Nadia—and a surprise guest standing just behind them.

“Hey, Aunt Jenna!”

Marcus greeted her with a wide grin and a hug.

Nadia smiled awkwardly, waving a little too enthusiastically.

“Heeey! I’m here too.”

She spread her slender arms, and Marcus dutifully hugged her as well.

Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Marcus’s eyes shifted to the man lingering at the back.

His brows furrowed in confusion.

“That’s Emma’s very good billionaire friend…”

Jenna pat Isaac Volkner on the shoulder.

“So don’t worry.”

“Oh.”

Marcus nodded slowly, though his eyes narrowed as he sized up the stranger.

“Alright, then…”

They stepped inside as the expansive interior of the mansion stretched out before them.

Emma sat on the couch like a queen on her throne as she shoveled popcorn into her mouth with the ferocity of a squirrel stocking up for winter.

“Eh…?”

She paused mid-chew as her eyes narrowed at Isaac Volkner standing near the entrance.

Isaac raised an eyebrow, arms crossed in a casual stance.

“Calm down, Sandy Cheeks…”

He nodded at the puffed cheeks filled with popcorn.

Emma nearly choked.

She froze and stared at him as some popcorn tumbled from her mouth onto the floor. Quickly, she shot up from the couch, then brushed off her clothes as she forced an awkward smile.

“Uhh, hey, Isaac!”

Her voice pitched slightly higher than usual.

Before anyone could react, she grabbed Jenna and Nadia by the arms and practically dragged them out of the room.

“Uh, excuse us! Be right back!”

She called over her shoulder, leaving Isaac and Marcus alone in the cavernous living room.

…

The silence between Isaac and Marcus was deafening.

Marcus stared at Isaac up to down, scrutinizing the billionaire as if he were an alien invader.

“So…”

Marcus adjusted his glasses.

“You’re rich?”

Isaac glanced at him, a bit amused. “Filthy.”

Marcus tilted his head.

“Richer than my aunts? They’re, like, super rich.”

A smirk tugged at Isaac’s lips.

He rubbed his chin in as if the answer wasn’t obvious.

“I could combine all their money, and they still wouldn’t have a quarter of what I’ve got.”

He paused for dramatic effect.

“Though I’m pretty sure Nadia’s dad’s way richer than me. Like, by a lot.”

Marcus shrugged dismissively.

“No one cares about him. Can I have a thousand bucks?”

Isaac chuckled as he reached into his wallet to pull out a crisp thousand-dollar bill. But before he could hand it over, Marcus snatched the entire wallet instead and held it up triumphantly.

For a moment, they just stared at each other.

Then Isaac chuckled and ruffled Marcus’s hair.

“Go ahead, man. As if I could ever be mad at Emma’s little nephew.”

…

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Emma slammed the door shut behind them, her eyes darting around as if expecting Isaac to appear from nowhere.

She turned to face Jenna and Nadia, panicked.

“What the hell, guys?!” she hissed.

Nadia tilted her head innocently. “Uhh, what’s wrong?”

Emma threw her hands up and gestured wildly toward the living room.

“Why would you bring him here? You know how I feel about my… uh, relationship with Isaac these days!”

Jenna raised an eyebrow.

“He came to see how you’re doing. Heard about the whole Irina and Miss Mercury drama and wanted to help. Thought you’d appreciate the gesture.”

Emma groaned as she leaned against the counter.

“You could’ve made an excuse. Not just brought him here like it’s no big deal!”

Jenna leaned against the kitchen island, arms crossed.

“You need to stop acting like a child. You’re a grown woman. If you don’t like Isaac that way, tell him. Focus on your relationship with this… Nightwatch guy.”

Nadia nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we’ve got your back.”

Emma sighed heavily. “You’re right. Isaac’s a nice guy. I’m sure he’ll understand…”

Jenna mumbled under her breath, “Maybe a little too nice for you…”

Emma snapped her eyes to her. “Excuse me?”

Jenna shrugged, her expression unbothered.

“I don’t have a problem with who you’re dating. I just don’t think this Nightwatch guy’s the right one for you as much as he deeply loves you. Sorry, but the guy who isn’t dating you is here to see if you’re okay. Meanwhile, your boyfriend? MIA.”

Emma frowned as she folded her arms defensively under her breasts.

“That’s because I didn’t tell Scott about any of this.”

Jenna raised a knowing eyebrow.

“Oh, great. Fantastic! Lack of communication. That’s a stellar foundation for a relationship. But hey, you didn’t tell Isaac either, and he’s still here.”

“That doesn’t make Scott a bad guy!”

Emma quickly got frustrated.

“He’s just busy with his vigilante life. He’s focused on Meteor City right now.”

Her voice wavered slightly, and she looked away with quite the sad face.

Nadia stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“It’s not that we dislike Scott. But maybe he’s a little too deep into the whole vigilante thing. He tends to forget he was Scott before he was Nightwatch. Like, what does he even do for a living?”

Emma’s voice was quiet. “He streams…”

Nadia winced.

“Right. And as much as I respect that, maybe encourage him to branch out? Start a company. Market his tech. Earn a serious living and properly lead a double life.”

Emma shook off Nadia’s arm.

“That’s enough! I’m not listening to any more of this garbage! Like what the heck, guys!”

Without another word, she stormed out of the kitchen.

…

Back in the living room, Isaac watched as Emma returned with a stormy expression.

He waved awkwardly.

“Haha, there she is! Hey, Em.”

She ignored him entirely and marched upstairs without even a glance.

Marcus frowned and glanced between a furious Emma and lost Isaac.

“What’s wrong with her? She was fine a minute ago.”

Isaac sighed, standing up. “It’s fine. I just wanted to see if she was okay, not to cause a scene.”

He straightened his jacket and gave Marcus a nod before heading toward the door.

“Take care, kid.”

And with that, Isaac was gone.

━ ━ ━ ━

Outside the HVC Warehouse, Meteor City…

Scott tapped on is phone to end the stream.

A small pop-up appeared on the screen to summarize the night’s performance.

[Viewer Count: 230,000]

[Donations: $65,835]

Scott leaned back against the brick wall.

“That’s… a lot.”

He muttered as he scratched his head.

“Probably ’cause Deathmark was on. That, and the fact that it was unnecessarily freaky.”

He sighed and swiped through his phone until his bank app appeared on the screen.

[Current Balance: $430,320.65]

The number stared back at him, and he let out an even deeper sigh.

“I was planning to get Emma a gift or something, but…”

His voice faded as his thoughts drifted.

“What do I even get her? Jewelry? A car? She probably has better ones already. Higher quality too.”

He closed his eyes briefly.

“Maybe I’m moving too fast…”

It was a possibility.

“Eighteen, practically dropped out of school… I should be enjoying my younger days, not… this.”

His eyes remained fixed on his phone, blank and unblinking as his mind spiraled into quiet doubt.

A sudden presence jolted him from his thoughts.

Deathmark popped up in front of him, her hands casually tucked behind her curvy hips as she leaned in close. Her perky breasts bounced into view in a way that implied she had meant for it to happen.

There was that usual liveliness in her purple eyes.

“You okay there?”

But, her tone was soft.

Nothing like the gun-wielding psychopath he was fighting with moments ago.

Scott leaned back slightly to create some space.

“Yeah, I’m fine…”

He shook off the daze.

“What about the blue dust? Any updates on that?”

Deathmark grinned and pulled a small glass bottle from behind her back, holding it up like it was a rare treasure. The faint shimmer of blue particles glowed under the intermittent flashing of the nearby police cars.

“This one’s yours…”

She twirled it between her fingers.

“I’ve got another for Rope Girl too. There’s still a bunch left, but the MCPD’s holding onto it until the Hero Agency can come and claim it as government property.”

Scott nodded as he took the bottle from her and examined it under the red and blue lights.

“I see…” he murmured.

The two of them glanced sideways.

The sight before them was sobering—police officers gently helping terrified children out of rusted metal crates. The kids’ hollow eyes darted around as armored trucks pulled up, ready to transport them to safety.

They were completely shattered.

Beyond any hope of fixing.

What made things even worse was that there wasn’t anyone who truly understood what they’d been through… no one who could help them face the difficult days ahead.

Maybe the Division F agents Scott and Deathmark fought could have been an option, but they were headed for a long stay in Ashgate Penitentiary.

So, in the end, those kids were left on their own.

They’d have to fight their own battles—struggling with the memories of all the horrific experiments and drugs that had been forced on their bodies.

Scott’s eyes went to the small bottle in his hand.

『This blue drug… they must have injected so much of it into their bodies that those kids will never be the same again. And depending on how strong their immune systems are, many of them could end up dying within a few weeks. Sigh~』

He sighed deeply and turned back to Deathmark.

“Tell Commissioner Lis I might not be around for a while.”

Deathmark’s playful expression shifted.

She tilted her head, frowning slightly.

“Why?”

“It’s personal…” Scott replied simply.

Deathmark’s hand shot out, gently grabbing his wrist.

Her expression softened, a common, but shy smile curved her lips.

“You can tell me, though…”

Her voice was much quieter now.

“I mean… I wouldn’t mind if we revealed our identities to each other. It’s about trust, right? And who knows? Maybe we’d get closer too. Tee-hee ♡!”

Scott looked at her with a plain face.

“We’re fine as we are. Keeping it professional works better for both of us.”

“B-, But…”

“Deathmark.”

The young lady looked away, quite sad.

“O-, Okay… I understand.”

He carefully slid his wrist out of her grasp.

Without another word, he turned and began walking away as he disappeared down a dark alley.

Deathmark watched him go as her lively smile returned, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes this time.

“Keep it professional, huh…?”

She spun the other bottle of blue dust between her fingers.

“Guess that’s what I get for trying.”

━ ━ ━ ━

… 00:34 a.m.

Scott walked down one of the quieter streets of Meteor City as he headed toward Meteor Hill.

Like most streets after 9 p.m., the area was deserted, with gang shootouts and other crimes keeping people off the roads.

But Blue Trail Street was different… it was empty because there were no homes here, and it was the only path that connected Meteor Hill with the lower districts.

No one dared to hang around, knowing the powerful people living up on the hill kept their distance from the chaos below. So, Scott had the street to himself, able to walk in peace while still wearing his Nightwatch gear.

[Hold your arms out…]

Scott tilted his head.

But, he listened to the System nonetheless.

… THUD!

Brigid MacLeighlin fell into his arms.

[Ding! The host has acquired the Mindbender Heroine!]

Scott’s eyes went blank.

“Eh…?”