The screen on Emma's wrist glowed faintly in the dark.
All she could see was Nightwatch's masked face.
His words repeated in her ears like a melody she hadn't realized she was desperate to hear.
[Show a little respect to the corporate heroes you're so quick to call 'slaves.' Do you even understand what some of them go through?]
Those words felt real…
Her fingers hovered over the pause button, but she couldn't bring herself to press it. Every word he said felt like a balm, a shield he'd raised for her against the relentless onslaught of hate.
[…And, oh yeah, she stops over forty crimes a year.]
Emma's lips parted slightly, her breath catching.
『I stop over 300 crimes a year, but only the ones I handle in Metro City are officially recorded. That's because my contract with the MegaCorp doesn't let me operate in other cities. If I stop crimes elsewhere, I have to do it secretly to avoid getting my contract terminated. Since those saves aren't allowed to be registered in the agency's database, they don't count. But honestly, none of that really matters anymore.』
She reached out to touch the edge of the screen, as if she could feel the conviction in his voice.
Her chest tightened.
Beneath that mask, she could imagine his eyes.
His mouth.
The curve of his lips, the sharpness of his jaw.
『What would it feel like… to kiss him?』
The thought struck her unexpectedly and sent a warm flush through her cheeks.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She could picture his arms now… strong, steady, warm, and the urge to be wrapped in them, shielded from everything, grew insanely unbearable.
Her fingers hovered over the screen once more, and this time, she tapped [end stream].
The screen went dark.
"I'm coming, Nightwatch…"
She whispered from her heart.
Her tips of her feet tapped the ground lightly, and then she bolted forward. Ashy fire ignited beneath her and left a trail of glowing embers along the road as she surged toward Meteor City at blazing speeds!
The first hunt was on!
━ ━ ━ ━
Back at the stream, Scott was now visibly calmer as he coolly adjusted his suit and straightened up.
"All right, listen up. I know you're all excited, but let's keep it civil. This stream isn't about—"
"Me?" Gwen interrupted with a smirk.
Scott shot her a glare. "No. It's not about you."
The chat didn't miss their chance.
[It's ALWAYS about her, bro. 💀]
[Don't lie to us, Nightwatch.]
[Mist supremacy. We stan.]
[Can someone give me her @ please?]
└ [Search GhostGirl37 on LoopVid!]
└ [Fr?!]
└ [Of course, (ツ) dawg I gotchu…]
└ [Dude, it showed me a pic of two guys kissing (´-ι_-｀)]
└ [Life ain't fair is it?]
---
Gwen chuckled and stepped closer to the camera.
"For all the curious folks out there—my favorite food is pizza, I'm not answering that question, and yeah, I'm here to stay."
She gave the drones a wink.
"Get used to it, people."
The chat went wild again.
[NIGHTWATCH, UPGRADE HER TO MAIN CAST ALREADY.]
[She's a keeper, bro. For real.]
[No cap, y'all make a good duo.]
└ [Dynamic duo or enemies-to-lovers arc? 👀]
Scott sighed and placed his hands on his hips.
"Great. Just great."
And with that, the chaos continued.
[@PhantomMuse89 has just donated $50,000!]
That was good… but the message attached to it.
[Hey, Night! PhantomMuse89 here ヾ(＾∇＾)! As much as I like the idea of you having guest stars on your stream, maybe keep the newbies like her for more casual streams. I don't want her making things difficult for us ♡!]
[*YOU! I obviously meant YOU! (;-_-)]
"Fifty. Thousand. Dollars?"
Gwen's brows shot up as she read the donation message hovering in front of her.
"Who does this bitch think she is?"
The chat erupted instantly, as expected.
[OH, HERE WE GO! 🍿]
[SOMEONE GRAB THE POPCORN—CATFIGHT INCOMING!]
[Not Mist about to throw hands with @PhantomMuse89 live on stream 💀]
[PM89's been Nightwatch's #1 simp for years tho.]
└ [Whatchu talmbout, this channel has only been around for about a month or so…]
└ [I think it was an expression.]
[Yeah, but Mist's just better. Let's be real.]
[PM89 probably ugly as hell irl. Ain't no way she looks better than Most. I've never seen a hot chick spend every minute giving donations to a guy she doesn't know what he looks like. No offense, Nightwatch!]
└ [Facts, Mist's a goddess. Case closed.]
└ [PM89 is probably an overfed daddy's girl LMAO!]
└ [Basically a cheeto pig 💀]
---
Gwen scoffed and planting her hands on her wide hips.
"First of all…"
She dramatically paused to glare directly at the hovering camera drone.
"PM-whatever-you-are, I'm the one standing here next to Nightwatch. Not you. Me."
She gestured emphatically at herself as her sharp blue eyes blazed with annoying satisfaction.
"You may have all that money to waste, but I've got love to waste on him. How's that feel?"
Before the chat could fully digest the statement, Gwen turned to Scott with a sly grin.
"Actually, let's make it hurt."
Without warning, she slipped her arms around Scott's neck and pulled him close. Her breasts pressed against him as she leaned into the embrace and tossed a playful wink toward the camera drone.
"See? This—this right here? This is what love looks like, PhantomMuse, alright?"
The chat went feral.
[WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT'S HOLY IS THIS?! 😭]
[Mist's flexing and I'm HERE FOR IT!]
[SHE'S SO PETTY BUT SHE'S RIGHT.]
[PhantomMuse89 bout to combust rn.]
[Somebody check on PM89. You good, sis?]
[THERE IS NO ONE HOTTER THAN MIST! SHE'S THE ONE AND ONLY.]
---
Meanwhile, Emma's feet skidded to a halt mid-sprint as she glanced down at her phone screen.
"What the hell is she doing?!"
Emma practically shouted and watched the painfully intimate moment unfold.
Her heart raced as she stared at Gwen's smug face on the screen.
"She's not supposed to be hugging him like that. I am!"
Suddenly, the sound of a truck horn blaring snapped her out of her thoughts. Emma barely managed to dodge to the side as the truck narrowly missed her.
"Phew… that was close…"
She muttered breathlessly and clutched her chest.
Her eyes desperately returned to the screen.
"I'm gonna give that little blonde-haired bitch a little piece of my fuckin' mind!"
She started typing at superspeed.
[@PhantomMuse89: I'm pretty sure Nightwatch would like me way more. I'm hotter. Like I'm super HOT! And I'm not even bragging, okay? We're just like that in our family!]
The response from the chat was swift and merciless.
[Nah, sis. Absolutely not.]
[Weird for a 50 year old lady to be saying this…]
└ [Duuuuude, I never thought of this!]
└ [She's basically Nightwatch's sugar mommy 💀]
└ [Constantly donating money to get him to do stuff, yeah, that's pretty sus…]
└ [Ain't that… the whole point of a stream? Yunno, to do stuff viewers say and shi? Foxgirl flashes her coochie so much in her streams for even 50 bucks.]
[PM89, respectfully, you're delusional. Mist is GOATED.]
[Mist's hotter, no question.]
[We literally just saw her. She's a goddess.]
[Curves, boobs, everything! Land of milk and honey fr!]
---
Emma gritted her teeth and her pace quickened as she resumed her sprint.
"Idiots!"
She muttered under her growling breath.
Back at the stream, Gwen had clearly noticed the support pouring in.
"See?"
She pointed at the scrolling comments with a smug face.
"Their words, not mine."
Before she could gloat further, Scott finally shoved her face gently away from the camera drone.
"Enough," he said, his voice firm.
He turned his attention to the screen.
"PhantomMuse89, thank you for the donation. Really. But fifty grand is way too much."
[PhantomMuse89: Don't worry about it, Night! I could get you a car too, if you want. I noticed you don't have one in your arsenal ♡!]
Scott shook his head immediately.
"No need for that either. That's way too much."
The chat took the opportunity to derail once again.
[When are we getting Mist branded merch tho?]
[Drop Gwen's FansOnly already. It's time.]
└ [Ain't you the one trolling Foxgirl for having one?]
[Guys, focus. What's this stream even about today?]
[Yeah, didn't he say it was important?]
[Meteor City sucks btw. 💀 Just saying.]
---
Scott straightened up and his demeanor shifted slightly.
"Right────AHEM!"
He cleared his throat.
"Today's stream is about hunting down a particular woman. Her name's Elena Var—"
He stopped abruptly and his body went completely still.
[HELLO? WHAT HAPPENED?]
[Did he just freeze?]
[Nightwatch.exe has stopped working.]
[WHY IS HE QUIET THIS IS SO WEIRD.]
Gwen reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Nightwatch? You okay?"
"Shh──!"
Scott said sharply.
His voice was unusually tense.
"…"
"…"
"…"
The silence stretched for a few seconds.
And then, like a lightning bolt, Scott's senses zeroed in on a sound—barely perceptible but unmistakable.
The crack of a sniper rifle firing.
"Get down!"
He grabbed Gwen and yanked her out of the way just as the bullet tore through the air where her head had been moments earlier.
He spun midair, using his momentum to shield her as they hit the ground.
But the bullet wasn't finished.
"No…"
Scott's eyes widened with fear.
"That's not possible…"
His eyes had to be lying to him.
In that split second… something happened to the bullet.
It twisted unnaturally mid-flight and curved back toward its target with deadly precision!
────SHLUCK!
Scott's arm snapped upward just in time to shield Gwen again, but the bullet grazed him, leaving a small, clean hole in his suit and flesh.
The chat went insane.
[DID Y'ALL SEE THAT BULLET TURN? WTF?!]
[WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! IS HE OKAY?!]
[NIGHTWATCH IS BUILT DIFFERENT, NO WAY HE JUST DODGED THAT.]
[HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE HUMAN!]
[LoopVid edits finna go crazy tonight 💀]
[WHO FIRED THAT?!]
[WE'RE IN REAL-LIFE JOHN WICK MODE NOW.]
[You guys do realize he's in danger right?]
└ [And? He's Nightwatch, bro.]
---
Scott winced as he gripped his arm.
"Damn it──!"
He bit his lower lip in deep pain.
Gwen's face had gone pale and her usual smirk was quickly replaced by genuine concern.
"Scott…"
"I'm fine…"
He replied with narrow eyes.
Coming out of that was luckier than a four-leaf clover.
Scott knew more than anything… that he shouldn't have sensed that sniper from that far.
"We're being hunted…"
The chat immediately caught on.
[OH IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN!]
[LMAO, and Pulsar is doing a wardrobe tour stream tonight? She better step up her game!]
[Nightwatch always feeding us peak content!]
[SOMEONE TRIED TO SNIPE HIM LIVE ON STREAM. THIS IS INSANE.]
---
Meanwhile…
A man lay flat on his stomach atop the rooftop of a 70-story skyscraper, his black trench coat fanning out like the wings of a bird of prey.
The city lights glimmered below.
The bustling chaos was far from his focused ears.
Next to him was a half-empty bottle of whiskey.
A cigarette dangled loosely from his lips as smoke curled lazily into the air when he exhaled.
His gloved hand steadied the long-barreled sniper rifle resting on a bipod, its sleek design enhanced with tech far beyond conventional means.
Through the augmented scope of his weapon, Trickshot watched Scott pull Gwen to safety as his cybernetic eye flickered with data overlays.
The moment Scott had moved, the sniper rifle's readout had recalibrated and tracked the impossible twist of the bullet's trajectory.
Trickshot's lips curled into a smirk as he tapped the side of his eye.
A soft whir emanated from the internal mechanisms as the scope magnified and locked onto a wounded Scott.
"Four thousand meters…"
Trickshot tilted his head slightly and puffed out another plume of smoke as the wind tousled his short, jet-black hair.
"Dodging a shot at that range? Now that's just rude."
He reached for the whiskey, took a swig, and let the burn slide down his throat. His other hand idly tapped on the rifle as he recalibrated the scope again.
The data flashed across his vision, and he frowned slightly.
"Fifteen years in the game, and this is the first time someone's made me miss on the first shot."
His smirk widened and a wicked shine sparked in his piercing green eye.
"This guy… he's not normal."
He leaned back a bit and rested his elbow on the ground as he looked at the figure standing behind him.
She was dressed in black.
Two collapsible swords were fastened to her hips, their hilts catching a faint gleam from the moonlight. Her sharp, angular face was mostly hidden by a hood, but her blood-red eyes glowed softly to reveal her inhuman nature.
"Dark Elf…"
Trickshot finally spoke.
He gestured toward the scene far, far, faraway with a lazy wave of his cigarette.
"Hunt them down. Let's see what we're dealing with."
The woman didn't reply.
She didn't need to.
With a small nod, she stepped toward the edge of the rooftop with absolute calmness.
Her lithe body moved with the grace of a predator as she crouched with one hand resting lightly on the building's ledge.
Trickshot leaned his cheek against his palm and watched her with a bored yet intrigued expression.
"Try not to kill him right away, yeah? The fun's in breaking them slowly."
The woman gave no response.
Then, without a sound, she leapt.
The wind howled as she barreled downward like a missile.
Trickshot's eyes tracked her descent, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"This night just got interesting."
He took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke into the cold night air as his hand absentmindedly tapped the rifle's stock.
"I'll blow his fuckin' head off and keep that curvy chick for myself… I wouldn't mind her resisting either…"
He laughed with his hot whiskey breath.
The second hunt was on!
━ ━ ━ ━
"Alright, alright, keep the camera steady, Jack! We need that perfect angle!"
The Peak stood proudly atop a pile of groaning "thugs".
Their tattoos looked fake, and none of them were even cuffed, which made the whole scene feel off.
With a big, confident grin, he stretched out his arms while his golden hair caught the glow of the streetlights as he showed off his perfectly practiced lat spread.
"People of Metro City!"
He dramatically announced with a booming voice.
"Fear not! The Peak has arrived to bring peace, order, and true heroics to this dark and dangerous place!"
The livestream chat exploded with activity.
[Viewers: 1,293,402]
[Donations: $248,556]
[Bro thinks he's Nightwatch 💀]
[Meteor City does NOT need you, bruh 😭🙏]
└ [Imagine getting rejected by the worst city on the map 💀. I shit you not, there's legit nothing worse.]
└ [Imagine being The Peak (´･_･`)]
└ [Oh…]
[Thanks for saving the world! Who's saving us from you, though? (´-ι_-｀)]
[Peak saves the world every day by staying irrelevant.]
[PEAK PERFORMANCE WHEN??!]
└ [Deadass, I need that Blue Raspberry flavor back.]
[Yo, this dude's arms look bigger than last stream.]
└ [Steroids, no doubt.]
└ [Nah, he's just built like that fr]
[Peak fans in shambles rn.]
[We already got Nightwatch, you fraud.]
└ [Nightwatch solos this clown any day.]
[NEW SONG WHEN? 🔥🔥🔥]
---
The Peak's jaw twitched, but he kept his megawatt smile plastered on his face.
"Thank you, loyal fans… and to the trolls out there… well, enjoy your miserable little lives while I save the world."
His voice was a tad too tight.
The chat wasn't slowing down.
[CRY ABOUT IT, PEAK.]
[Breaking news: The Peak saves world from boredom by ending his stream early.]
[Save the world? You can't even save your hairline, bro. I can see it falling back… just like your career (--_--)]
[Bro's just here to sell more energy drinks.]
└ [And maybe another book no one asked for.]
[Imagine fake-fighting gang members for clout.]
└ [LMAO, literally scripted. Look at those dudes.]
[Peak energy drink = Peak Trash]
└ [Still better than his album.]
└ [Didn't that android scandal ruin his rep? 💀💀]
---
The Peak clenched his fists, then flashed his signature grin at the camera.
"I'll be right back, folks. Stay tuned—because The Peak never disappoints."
With a side tap on his futuristic visor, the stream ended.
The pile of "vicious thugs" groaned in unison as they got to their feet.
"Nice work, boys!"
The Peak said as he clapped his hands.
"I never knew a bunch of overweight convenience store owners and underpaid construction workers could be so convincing!"
One of the men slowly wiped off a fake tattoo with a wet rag as he irritatedly muttered.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
Before the tension could grow, a woman in a sharp blazer and heels stepped forward.
"UHHH! What The Peak means, gentlemen, is that you all did a wonderful job."
Claire smiled brightly, clipboard tucked under her arm.
"Your performances were absolutely top-notch!"
The men exchanged glances and nodded reluctantly.
They only let it slide because Claire was hot.
Vincent swaggered over and casually draped an arm across the hero's shoulders.
"See, Peak? Staging a crime is always better than risking your pretty face for these couch-dwelling losers. Dream on if they think you'd actually fight real criminals."
The Peak huffed and pushed Vincent's arm off him.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
He pulled a gold-plated body spray from his utility belt and spritzed himself liberally.
"But if I'm going to do this, it has to be bigger. I'm not some sidekick. Nightwatch stopped over thirty crimes his first night in Meteor City. Thirty! I have to outdo him."
Vincent smirked.
"Don't worry. I've got a plan. And trust me, Peak—this one's going to blow Nightwatch out of the water."
The Peak's eyes gleamed with interest. "Go on."
Vincent swiped the screen of his phone and scrolled through the flurry of posts, then paused.
"Nightwatch just announced that he's going on a hunt tonight. Heavy crowd, tons of viewers tuning in—his biggest stream yet. Looks like Meteor City's about to get its most dangerous livestream."
"So, we're tracking him down?"
The Peak's lips curled into a smile.
"Exactly!"
Vincent leaned forward.
"We'll follow him in real-time via his stream. Chopper's already got a direct feed. We'll stay on his tail, and when he's about to make a move, we swoop in. You stop the crime, take the credit. Perfect, right?"
The Peak chuckled as he cracked his knuckles.
"I always look perfect."
Vincent chuckled, nodding in agreement.
"Of course you do. But in case something goes wrong…"
The Peak raised an eyebrow. "What's your backup plan?"
Vincent's smirk was cold and heartless.
"If you fail to shine, we'll make sure he fails. I'll pay the media to spread the word that Nightwatch couldn't handle it. You know how it works—turn the tables, make it look like you were forced to step in and save the day."
The Peak snorted.
"Nice. But… you've been pretty quiet lately. Thought your focus was more on Pulsar these days. Haven't heard much from you or your squad."
Vincent didn't flinch, just leaned in with that grin.
"I'm still interested in Pulsar, don't get me wrong. But right now, I'm more focused on clearing the way for a bigger plan."
He raised his hand as if making a deal.
"And for that to happen, I need $20 million. That's your ticket to pulling the plug on Nightwatch for good."
The Peak's eyes widened slightly, but his posture remained relaxed.
"Pulling the plug? On him? You want me to buy you out of his popularity?"
Vincent's voice dropped to a low, serious tone.
"I'm wiping him off the map. I want him deleted from every streaming platform, all his videos and clips—gone. The guy's starting to get too many fans backing his lame persona. It's crowding Pulsar's new channel. The moment Nightwatch fades out, Pulsar's taking the spotlight. But that only happens if Nightwatch is erased from the web completely."
There was a pause as Vincent's words sank in.
The Peak stared at him for a moment, weighing the offer, and then he grinned.
"Alright, alright. I like that idea."
Vincent extended his hand.
"Pleasure doing business, The Peak."
The Peak looked at Vincent's hand for a moment, then reached forward and shook it.
"Don't make me regret it, Vincent."
The moment their hands clasped, Vincent's grin grew wider.
"Don't you trust me?"
The third hunt was on!