NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 213: Lack of Trust
[Livestream: 2M+ viewers]
[Time: 02:16:53]
CLANK!
The final shackle snapped like cheap plastic under Rope Girl's strength.
Deathmark collapsed almost instantly, her limbs too weak to hold her up after hours of confinement. She tipped forward off the cold steel platform she'd been stretched across, but Rope Girl caught her just before she could hit the floor.
"You okay?" Rope Girl asked.
You couldn't read her face behind her black mask, but her black eyes carried real concern.
Deathmark coughed—wet, painful.
Blood speckled her lips.
"Yeah…" she rasped with a tired nod.
Rope Girl gave her two gentle pats on the back.
BANG!
A gunshot cracked through the silence like lightning.
Without a blink, Rope Girl pulled Deathmark into a tight shielded hug and let the blazing bullet slam harmlessly into her armored back.
In the rafters, Trickshot growled as he slammed his fist against the floor.
"Fucking bitch, DIE!!"
The bullet that hit Rope Girl didn't drop.
It hovered—then jerked midair and turned sharply as it zipped toward her again.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Turrets popped out from hidden spots along the walls and fired one after another. Bullets zipped through the air—smart, ricocheting, hunting their target like angry bees
[yo rope girl BUILT DIFFERENT WTF 🔥🔥🔥]
└ [In more ways than one 😏]
[SHE JUST TANKED THAT?!]
[My girl said 'bulletproof' and meant it 😭]
[These anime-ass ricochet bullets got more curves than IG models 🤷♂️]
[yo that bullet curved back like my ex 😭]
[this boss fight got bullet hell mechanics tf]
└ [This is NOT a boss fight for Rope Girl 💀]
└ [fr, Trickshot is Peak-level threat]
└ [I laughed my ass off when I realized what "Peak" you were talking about 😭😭]
･･･
Rope Girl didn't hesitate. She swept Deathmark into a bridal carry and darted forward—graceful, impossibly fast, weaving between the lethal hail of curved bullets like she was dancing through raindrops.
One bullet grazed her side. SWIP!
She twisted midair, evading another. ZWWIP!
Held tight, Deathmark watched the bullets alter their angles and zig-zag like rabid hornets.
Rope Girl was dodging all of them.
But she also wasn't moving the way she could've.
Deathmark knew—if she wasn't being carried, Rope Girl would've already dismantled the entire turret system blindfolded.
"I… I'm slowing you down…" Deathmark muttered.
Rope Girl didn't respond.
"I don't want to be a burden. I—"
"What are you doing?!"
Rope Girl snapped as Deathmark tried to struggle out of her arms mid-air.
"I'm dead weight! You shouldn't risk yourself for m—!"
"Shut up!"
Three bullets curved in simultaneously.
Rope Girl flipped back, sidestepped, landed sideways off a crate, still holding her like she was weightless.
"I'm not leaving you…"
Those words came out weakly.
"If I thought you were a burden, I'd have left you back when I retreated with that terrorist."
She leapt over another bullet, rolled, ducked behind some crates with a harsh exhale.
A moment passed.
Rope Girl pulled her mask down. Looked at Deathmark.
And smiled—just a little.
"I might not say it much anymore… but I still DO love my subordinates."
Deathmark blinked. A small sniffle. "You smiled…"
[SHE SMILED????]
[RopeAndMark shippers rise UP 😭🔥]
[Me watching the bullets miss everything like: 😐]
[AYOOO THIS SHIP IS SETTING SAIL]
└ [You're sick for even calling this shit a ship]
└ [Relax bro, shipping isn't that's serious 💀]
└ [ONG, bro said that with zero emojis, I'm dying 😭]
[Down bad comments incoming in 3… 2… 1…]
[Imagine getting to have Rope Girl and Deathmark sucking you off during a threesome 🤤]
└ [The kinda godforsaken shit SleazyPen be writing on his job application form 😭🖐️]
[I'll let y'all know now. There's no amount of money or power in the world that would make any man be able to pull both Rope Girl and Deathmark. 🤷♂️]
└ [I honestly agree.]
└ [You gotta be the Avatar to have that kinda balance in your romantic life. It just ain't happening 😭]
└ [Nah, fr tho]
[this why Trickshot always losing 💀]
└ [give him one W fr]
└ [He's a terrorist 💀]
└ [Nightwatch too, make a better point 🤷♂️]
･･･
"FUCK ALL OF YOU!!"
Trickshot screamed from his perch, slamming the remote in his hand like a toddler with a toy.
The bullets picked up speed.
Curves sharper.
Paths less predictable.
SWISH—CRACK!
Rope Girl adjusted Deathmark again.
"So what's the plan, boss?" Deathmark asked.
"Gonna end this in one mo—"
KRAK-KRAK-KRAK!
Six bullets curved through the crates like deadly sharks around coral.
Rope Girl sprang out, barely missing instant death.
The crates exploded behind her.
"Lucky that wasn't us…" Deathmark mumbled.
Rope Girl didn't answer.
She cracked her metal lasso in midair to deflect three bullets with a clean whip.
WA──PAAAAHHHHH!!
Then launched it across the room.
PAAAAHHH!
It whipped directly into Trickshot's cybernetic eye.
"AAAGGHHHH!!"
Trickshot tumbled off his platform, bleeding, screaming and squirming like a salted worm.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
He wriggled his body.
[BRO LOST HIS AIMBOT 💀]
[OKAY rope girl is cracked holy—]
[Trickshot got tricked 😳]
└ [YT shorts ahh comment 🥀]
[Not the eyeee 😭 it was so cool!]
[Trickshot's plan wasn't all THAT bad tbh, but Rope Girl just built diff]
[These turrets are mad smart but she's smarter. Peak.]
･･･
"JANE! KILL THEM!!"
Trickshot howled as blood poured from his face.
But when he looked toward the Terror Twins, he froze.
Nightwatch stood with one foot on top of both their unconscious bodies, hands on hips like he was posing for a magazine cover.
"Maybe stick to taking assassination jobs in Middle Eastern countries…"
Rope Girl gave him a sidelong glance.
"Not really how I pictured our first meeting."
Nightwatch tilted his head. "Not our first, technically."
"… Huh?"
･･･
Minutes Later – Outside Volkner Labs
Dozens of HA agents swarmed the area—black suits, white vests, sleek helmets and visors.
Volkner Labs burned behind them in smoldering ruin.
The Terror Twins and Trickshot were cuffed, inhibitor collars locking their powers down.
"Move."
Barked an agent as he jabbednTrickshot with a rifle.
"F—"
SMACK! The rifle butt cracked across his jaw before the word left his mouth.
"Shut up and move."
Elsewhere, Deathmark sat inside a medic tank.
Blanketed, bloodied, stitched up, nose half-set.
She didn't flinch once.
Her swollen eyes scanned beyond the medics—she was obviously looking for Nightwatch.
『I really want to thank him…』
She smiled affectionately.
Meanwhile—
Nightwatch stood in front of a drone camera.
『Hnnn, these guys…』
His eyes narrowed a bit as the comments exploded.
[NIGHTWATCH IS BACK BABYYYY]
[Chat, is he gonna be arrested now or what???]
[Okay but who's he actually into? 🤨]
Let's be real, it's definitely Deathmark. I know you guys are so down bad that you want my boi to be with Rope Girl, but to me she's heavily overrated and Deathmark deserves him more than anyone else. SHE'S SO FREAKY 🤤]
Bro started off wise and ended up sleazy 🤦♂️]
HEHEH, NICE ONCE 😭]
[Are WE accessories to terrorism rn orrr 😳]
[I need a recap and a therapy session]
[Can we see Rope Girl one last time? I need a few more clips of you guys together for an edit!]
･･･
"I can't answer everything right now…"
Nightwatch spoke with a low voice.
"But I don't plan to run anymore."
He glanced down. Sighed.
"I didn't want war with the Hero Agency. But maybe… I don't have a choice."
Another breath.
"I'm glad you're all still with me. I may not say it, but it really makes me happy. I'll keep fighting—for those of you who still believe in the Golden Age of Heroism."
He smiled underneath his mask.
[ME and Nightwatch need to be stopped 😭]
[I'm crying rn idc]
[A tear ran down my leg 😭🙏]
[Just make some hoodie merch or sum bro]
[Y'all are so unserious 🤦♂️]
[Golden age still lives 😤🫡]
[Bro boutta get so arrested lmao]
･･･
The stream cut. Stats rolled.
[2.8 million live viewers]
[678K likes]
[899k comments]
[Donations: $266,789]
Nightwatch turned away with a sigh.
"Guess I should leave. Not really in the mood for fifty rifles aimed at me today. Besides—"
CLACK.
A gun cocked.
"… Turn around. Slowly."
Came Rope Girl's voice. Cold as ice.
Nightwatch raised his hands and turned with a smirk.
"Really? We took down the bad guys and you're already aiming at my chest?"
She said nothing.
"That's not considerate…" he added.
Rope Girl narrowed her eyes.
"A proper lack of consideration would be putting a bullet in your skull before you finished that sentence."
He grinned under the mask.
"Your fans say you're sexy. Wonder how they'd feel seeing this side of you."
"… Define side."
"A two-dimensional bitch—"
BANG!
He tilted his head and the bullet zipped past harmlessly.
Rope Girl's eyes narrowed.
"I won't miss next time."
"Ooooo, same thing I say when I play nut archery with my girlfriend's mouth…"
"…"
Nightwatch sighed.
"I know you're thinking of taking my head to Lymtos."
He paused. Calm again.
"But I'm not getting taken today."
"You're not helping your case, terrorist…"
Rope Girl cocked her gun again.
Nightwatch took a few gentle steps forward, arms still raised in that slow, careful posture that screamed—I'm not your enemy. His voice came out low, even, the kind you'd use with a wounded animal or a ticking bomb.
"Sigh~ I'm really not gonna claim I know you… but what I do know—"
He watched her carefully
"—is that you wouldn't have worked with me back there if you didn't think I was doing the right thing. Am I right?"
His brow arched with quiet curiosity, like he was gently nudging a chess piece forward instead of standing in front of a loaded gun.
Rope Girl didn't say a word.
Her finger twitched around the trigger just a little more.
And somehow, her silence got louder.
Nightwatch caught it. That wall. The one he'd seen in too many eyes before—people who'd already decided. People who were just waiting for a reason.
So he took a breath. Real soft.
"Look… I don't think you're a bad person."
The wind shifted. Her stance didn't.
"Even now. Even with the gun pointed at me."
Still nothing.
But he pressed on, voice carrying just a hint of something raw beneath the surface.
"The media loves to paint you as this unstoppable force, the type who'd never compromise a mission—not even to save your own team. But tonight?"
He paused. Stepped closer.
"You prioritized Deathmark. Twice."
That finally made something in her face twitch.
A blink. A crack.
"I respect that."
Another heartbeat passed.
Rope Girl's stern, but pretty face softened—only slightly, but it was enough. Her eyes flicked downward, then she slowly exhaled through her nose.
The barrel lowered.
With a quick motion, the gun folded itself into a compact black rectangle with a soft click before she slotted it back into her utility belt like it had never existed.
She turned.
Didn't say a word.
Didn't need to.
But as she took three steps away, she spoke—
"He's coming for you."
It was that usual flat and cold voice of hers.
Nightwatch didn't even flinch.
His voice stayed calm, almost casual.
"Who is?"
She didn't turn around.
"Your worst nightmare."
Silence.
Nightwatch stared at her back for a moment.
It was hard to process—did he have someone like that?
He turned to walk away.
"Then he won't sleep."
He vanished into the dark.
WHAM!
Deathmark slammed into view from behind a pile of broken drywall like she'd been hiding there the whole time. Her white blanket was wrapped around her so tight it looked like she was being haunted by central heating.
Her eyes were practically glowing.
"Where is he—?!"
She blurted out, head swiveling like a turret.
"I know I heard his voice! Is he here?!"
She looked left.
Then to the corner.
Then behind Rope Girl like she might've stuffed Nightwatch in a backpack.
"I swear I heard—he was right there, wasn't he?!"
Rope Girl didn't even blink.
"He's gone."
The words hit harder than they should've.
Deathmark froze.
Her head drooped, and she let out a dramatic little sigh as her lower lip puffed into the saddest pout imaginable.
"Bummer… he didn't even say bye to me…"
She peeked around again with much less enthusiasm—like maybe he'd come back if she stared hard enough.
Then… another sigh.
This one was soaked in exaggerated heartbreak.
"Tch. Whatever. I didn't even wanna see him anyway. He sucks. HMPH!"
She folded her arms under her breasts with the kind of flair that only came with stage-worthy levels of denial.
Rope Girl just sighed, eyes drooping half-lidded like she was already regretting everything.
She walked away.
"WHAT—?!"
Deathmark yelped, spinning around like she'd been slapped by the silence.
"I—I swear I don't have a crush on him! Please don't call the Hero Agency after himmmmm!"
She was already whining like a bratty schoolgirl caught doodling hearts in her notebook as she ran after Rope Girl, who didn't even acknowledge her existence.
･･･
High above, on the edge of a towering rooftop—
Scott watched.
One hand came up, pressed against the seam of his helmet, and with a low hiss of air pressure and robotic whir, the mask disengaged.
He pulled it off.
His messy black hair caught the wind immediately, flowing like it was a majestic black river.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"She can be really ridiculous sometimes…"
Then—BRAAANG!
His phone buzzed in his glove.
The screen lit up: UNKNOWN CALLER.
Scott tilted his head, squinting, then answered with a swipe.
"Helluuuuuu~"
Came a sing-song voice that made his smile return in a heartbeat.
"Hey, you~"
Scott said with warmth in his tone.
"What's with the unknown number?"
"Ehhh, my phone's dead…"
Emma replied casually.
"I'm calling you from the hotel's landline. So retro, right? I kinda like it though~"
Scott chuckled.
"Sooo… does that mean you memorized my number?"
A tiny pause.
Then a playful giggle. "Tee-hee~ maybe."
Scott grinned like an idiot.
He could hear her trying not to smile.
"Sighhh~ I'm so bored right now…"
She said with a dramatic yawn.
Scott kept walking along the rooftop ledge, wind tousling his hair as he looked over Central District's glittering nightscape.
"Well yeah… it's a business trip. You're there to set up a new branch, not throw a rave."
"I know, I know."
Emma muttered as she adorably twirled a strand of her hair and bit her lower lip.
"But this is the part where you offer to come over and make me feel… less bored~"
A dirty little chuckle followed.
Scott exhaled a laugh and leapt onto a nearby AC unit for a better view.
"So… you want me to? I'll grab some condoms and take the jet. Just wrapped up tonight's stream anyway."
"REALLY?!" Emma gasped. "Ughhh, I missed it?!"
She sighed dramatically.
"Well… I recorded it. I'll just watch it when I—"
"Actually…"
Scott cut in.
"Ma-, Maybe you should skip tonight's stream. Just get some rest."
He winced immediately and smacked his forehead.
『Why'd I even mention it?』
Emma was clearly confused
"… Uhm. Okay? I'll erm… just watch it tomorrow with breakfast or whatever."
Then──silence.
Emma cleared her throat. Voice softened.
"I met with Red Knight today."
Scott raised an eyebrow.
"Who's that?"
"Vice-chairman of the Hero Agency."
"…Okay. Fancy."
Emma giggled softly. "Yeah, well… she wants to promote me. S rank. Immediately."
Scott stumbled—literally taking a step back on the ledge.
"Holy smokes, that's awesome!"
"Right?! All those unregistered cases I handled in Meteor and Asteroid City, plus the Red Titan battle… she brought up everything. Even the stuff you helped me with."
Scott beamed.
"Wow. I'm proud of you."
"But…" she said as her voice dipped.
Scott's smile faded. "…But?"
"She, uh… kinda wants to know who Nightwatch is."
And just like that… Scott's whole face changed.
His expression hardened like stone.
The wind kept blowing, but he didn't feel it.
"Wh… what did you say?"
Emma blinked, startled.
"What kinda question is that? Of course I told her I didn't know jack. I'd never snitch on you, hun~"
She added a ghetto twang.
Scott exhaled hard and rubbed his suddenly sweaty face with a shaky laugh.
"Ahaah… right. RIGHT. Of course. I knew that…"
"Scott."
Her tone turned serious. Gentle, but serious.
"You know I'd never betray you, right? I love you. Even if it feels like you don't trust me sometimes."
Scott straightened, instantly defensive.
"I do! I do trust you—"
"You trust me with your heart, sure, but not your past. And I get it. But just… know that no matter what your past looks like? I'll still love you."
Scott opened his mouth.
Then—click.
The line cut.
He stared at the phone like it had personally punched him in the chest.
The wind blew harder now.
And all Scott could do was stand there… and sigh.