Page 101 of Stream Heat
“When’s the last time you ate?”
I hit mute on my mic before I replied. “Food is for people not conducting psychological warfare,” I said. “Want to see something beautiful? I found their playbook.”
I put the doc on display: the talking points, the hashtags, the list of targets. Black-and-white proof.
Ash whistled, low. “That’s hard evidence. Harassment, coordination, the works.”
“I know. Kara’s lawyer already has it.” I grinned. “But I’m not done.”
I spun up a new doc. Started assembling a point-by-point breakdown including every tactic, every screenshot, every timeline overlap. It read like a dissertation on digital warfare.
Ash’s voice went soft. “She’s okay. Kara’s okay. You don’t have to carry this whole fight.”
I met his eyes. “I know she’s okay. But it isn’t just about her, is it? It’s about whether people like Victoria get to eat anyone they want alive.”
“And you’re going to stop her?”
“I’m going to try.” I turned back to my screens. “Someone has to.”
Ash watched for a second. Then, “You care about her. More than just pack, Theo.”
I flinched and stopped typing.
“She’s…” I tried to explain, but there was no easy way to say it. How did I say that someone reprogrammed the way my brain fires just by laughing? That their pain made me want to torch the world and start over? “She’s Kara. Brilliant. Stubborn. Makes me want to level up as a human being just to keep up.”
“Does she know?”
I snorted. “That I’m halfway in love with her? Fuck no. She’s got enough on her plate. No way I’m dumping more mess on her.”
“Might be worth it, after all this.” Ash. He didn’t push. “She’s braver than you think.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I pulled up the next bot, digging into its post times. “Right now she needs us as pack. Support system. Anything else is just…” I shook my head. “Later.”
Ash left it alone, and turned to go. “For what it’s worth, I think she’d be lucky.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, meaning it. “But first, I’m going to tear Victoria’s botnet limb from limb.”
Once he’s out, the rhythm comes easier. Bots were simple, once their patterns were mapped. The influencers trying to pass as organic? Trickier, but I managed. By 4 PM I had a full map of Victoria’s operation.
Phase two.
I spun up my streaming app. This time I went live with video. The audience explodes, thousands pouring in. The word’s out that I’m going nuclear on the Kara situation.
“Ruin Squad!” I sat up, letting real adrenaline flavor my voice. “Hope you caught the earlier breakdown. Now, let’s have some fun.”
I popped my analysis onto the screen and walked the audience through every step: The bot accounts, the timelines, the charade of ‘real outrage’. It’s an autopsy.
“Not saying you should mass-report anyone,” I smirked. “That’s coordinated harassment, and we’re not garbage people. But if you stumble on obvious spam or bot behavior and want to report it, well, that’s just good digital hygiene.”
The chat floods; I can barely see the text. Looks like everyone’s on board. In minutes, #ExposeTheBots is trending, neck and neck with #TeamKara.
Notifications go wild. Other streamers picking up the thread, sharing their own evidence. One person with a grudge and a laptop became a movement.
I got a message from Kara.
Theo what the hell are you doing?
I grinned, quick to respond.
