Don didn't waste ti testing his idea. He glanced at Hector, who was still grinning about his self-proclaid future as a millionaire strear, and asked, "Do you plan on becoming a full-ti strear? Even over being a hero?"
As ridiculous as Hector often was, Don hadn't forgotten he was still a student at SHU. That alone ant he had the potential to beco a hero… right?
To Don's mild surprise, Hector answered without a shred of hesitation.
"¡Obvio, bro! Being a hero's cool and all, but let's be real—I don't got the dedication or conexiones to make it big-ti. Not unless you're born into it, like Thunderstrike or Starboy. So, I grind my true pasión on the side. I know it'll blow up, just needs tiempo, you know?"
Although Hector sounded like his usual overly ambitious self, Tori didn't mock him. Instead, she looked a little… sympathetic.
As for Don? He didn't care. The words themselves weren't what interested him. It was the opportunity they presented.
"Streaming needs a lot of investnt," Don pointed out, tilting his head slightly. "With your style, I'm sure you're getting at least a few sponsors, right?"
Hector's grin faded into a sigh. He leaned against the glass railing, arms crossing over his chest as he looked out at the fight below. "Not many, bro. These days, most sponsors just want sellout strears willing to scam their own audiencia. Push sketchy crypto, fake giveaways, basura products. Sa crap everywhere."
Finally, Tori smiled faintly, though there was clear mischief in her expression as she asked, "Like you've never scamd people?"
Hector imdiately perked back up, flashing a carefree smile and shrugging. "Okay, sure. But only with gente who don't give money. My fans? Bro, they take ti to watch my content, to donate. You'd have to be one hell of a cabrón to sell out your true fans for trends or scam sponsors."
Donald, who had been silent until now, nodded in wholehearted agreent. "Yeah, I absolutely agree. Strears these days piss off with all the clickbait. Half of them just ride off s and don't even try to make decent content."
Don only nodded along, but that brief exchange told him everything he needed to know.
Hector wasn't as clueless as he often seed. He had principles, twisted as they might be. And more importantly, he had drive.
So, without much fanfare, Don asked, "Hmm. Well, how do you feel about letting invest in you?"
The words hit like a slap.
Hector, Donald, and even Tori froze, all three turning to stare at Don with varying degrees of disbelief.
Hector, of course, was the first to recover. His eyes went wide before lighting up with excitent as he blurted out, "Wait—¿neta, bro?! That'd be huge! If I had you as a regular on my streams, I'm sure I could—"
Don cut him off, raising a hand. "I'm not talking about being on your streams. I an investing dinero. So you can buy better gear, hire editors, run ads if you want. The boring stuff that actually helps you grow."
The clarification didn't lessen Hector's excitent, but it did shift it into sothing more grounded. He blinked, clearly processing what had just been offered. Even Donald looked mildly stunned.
Tori, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes slightly, suspicion creeping in.
Hector didn't notice. He was too busy grinning ear to ear.
"Bro, that'd be insane, like… wow. Huge. Uh, how much do you wanna invest?"
Don didn't answer imdiately. He had already seen all he needed to. Hector was hooked.
So, with a faint smile, Don replied, "We can work out the numbers later. After we both do so calculations. But I take it you're down for the plan?"
Hector nodded so fast Don half-expected his head to fall off. "¡Claro que sí, bro! I'm so down. You're basically my guardian angel right now."
Don chuckled quietly and extended a hand. "I guess we're business partners, then."
Without hesitation, Hector clasped Don's hand, shaking it with almost aggressive enthusiasm.
Tori, standing off to the side with arms crossed, just sighed and muttered, "God help us all."
The handshake between Don and Hector was firm, Hector's grin stretching ear to ear as he nodded along. "Bro, this is insane! Un socio real, man! We're gonna blow up, I swear."
Don's own smile was more restrained, but inwardly, he noted the system prompt flickering into view.
———
Quest Progress: Allies 2/3, Pawns 2/2.
———
'One more to go,' Don thought, glancing around the viewing deck. 'Shouldn't be that har—'
**BOOM!**
The entire floor suddenly trembled, the impact so wild and forceful it rattled the light fixtures above. Glasses and bottles at the nearby bar toppled, shattering on the pristine floor.
"What the hell was that?!" Hector shouted, instinctively grabbing the rail while Donald crouched low, eyes wide with panic. Tori, gripping the railing tightly, looked around, confusion giving way to dread.
Screams erupted across the floor as guests stumbled, so crashing into the glass walls that lined the deck. Though the reinforced material held firm, the force of bodies slamming against it left more than a few bleeding from split brows and broken noses.
Don's senses sharpened. His gaze flickered toward the stadium below, where panicked fans surged toward the exits. Rising smoke curled from the far side of the field, blotting out one of the virtual displays.
"Dios mío…" Hector muttered, still clutching the rail. "Is this part of the show or—?"
***BOOM!** **BOOM!** **BOOM!**
The question died in his throat as more explosions thundered through the stadium, one after another, each blast sending fresh waves of chaos rippling through the crowd. The last detonation, however, ca from the worst possible place—the elevator leading to their floor.
Don had barely registered the flash of light before the sound hit, a concussive force that made his ears ring.
**KRRRSH!**
The elevator doors buckled outward, twisted tal and debris launching into the corridor. A nearby waiter, caught mid-step, was thrown backward, bones broken from the force alone ,landing hard and unmoving.
The chandelier overhead swayed violently, several crystal pieces snapping off and shattering across the marble floor.
"¡No mas!" Hector yelled, shielding his head as dust billowed into the space. Tori stumbled back, coughing and waving a hand in front of her face.
Don didn't flinch. He'd seen enough to know this wasn't random, and the precision of the blasts told him whoever orchestrated this had planned it down to the second.
"Get low and stay behind cover," Don ordered, already stepping in front of the group while assessing the damage. His expression then darkened. 'This night just got a lot more complicated.'
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