"BEGIN!"

  Chaos erupted across the field.

  Every team immediately charged toward Todoroki, desperate for those ten million points. Ice spread across the ground as he defended, creating barriers and freezing aggressive teams in place.

  "NOW!" Bakugo shouted. "Move left, away from that mess!"

  Their team veered away from the main battle, targeting a smaller team from Class 1-B worth about 300 points total.

  "Ashido, acid!"

  "On it!" Pink acid sprayed forward, making the enemy team scatter.

  "Sero, tape!"

  Sero's tape shot out, snagging the enemy's headband. Hancock enhanced her speed and snatched it from the air as they passed.

  "Got it!" she announced, securing the headband around her own head.

  "YES!" Kirishima pumped his fist, nearly destabilizing them. "Sorry, sorry!"

  "Focus!" Bakugo snapped, but there was excitement in his voice. "Next target, ten o'clock!"

  They moved like a well-oiled machine. Bakugo called the strategies, Hancock executed precision strikes, and their base kept them mobile and stable. Within five minutes, they'd collected three more headbands.

  "WOW! TEAM BAKUGO IS RACKING UP POINTS!" Present Mic announced. "THEIR COORDINATION IS INCREDIBLE!"

  Hancock caught Bakugo's eye. He grinned viciously.

  "Told you we'd be unstoppable."

  "Don't get cocky. We still need—"

  "INCOMING!" Sero shouted.

  A massive team barreled toward them—Tetsutetsu's group from Class 1-B, their combined weight making them nearly immovable.

  "They're trying to crush us!" Ashido yelped.

  "Kirishima, harden! Everyone brace!" Bakugo's hands sparked. "Empress, when I blast us up, you take their headband!"

  "Understood."

  The collision was imminent. At the last second, Bakugo unleashed a massive explosion downward, launching their entire team into the air.

  Hancock twisted gracefully, her enhanced reflexes allowing her to snag Tetsutetsu's headband mid-flight. They landed hard but intact, skating away on Ashido's acid.

  "THAT WAS INSANE!" Kirishima laughed. "WE'RE FLYING NOW?!"

  "Whatever works!" Bakugo's grin was manic. "How many points we got, Empress?"

  Hancock quickly calculated. "Approximately 1,200 points. We're in second or third place currently."

  "Not good enough. We need more."

  "Or," Hancock said thoughtfully, "we defend what we have and wait for an opening at Todoroki."

  Bakugo looked at her, surprised. "You wanna go for the ten million?"

  "Everyone else has exhausted themselves trying. Todoroki's team is tired. If we time it right, in the final minute—"

  "We strike when they least expect it." Bakugo's eyes gleamed. "Empress, you're actually a genius."

  "I'm aware."

  "Don't let it go to your head."

  "Says the most arrogant person I know."

  They shared a look that was almost playful, and Hancock felt that warmth in her chest again.

  The next several minutes were defensive. Teams tried to steal their headbands, but their coordination held. Kirishima's hardening blocked attacks, Sero's tape created distance, Ashido's acid deterred close combat, and Bakugo and Hancock destroyed anyone who got too close.

  "TWO MINUTES REMAINING!" Midnight announced.

  Hancock watched Todoroki's team carefully. They'd successfully defended the ten million points, but they were clearly exhausted. Yaoyorozu was breathing hard. Iida's engines were smoking. Even Todoroki looked strained.

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  "Bakugo," she said quietly. "Now."

  "Hell yeah. Everyone, listen up!" He outlined the plan quickly. "One shot. We either get it or we don't. Everyone ready?"

  "YEAH!" Kirishima, Sero, and Ashido shouted together.

  They charged toward Todoroki's team.

  "TEAM BAKUGO IS MAKING THEIR MOVE!" Present Mic's voice boomed. "THIS IS IT! THE FINAL SHOWDOWN!"

  Todoroki saw them coming. Ice erupted from the ground, creating a massive barrier.

  "Sero, tape over the ice! Ashido, melt a path! Kirishima, ram through whatever's left!"

  Their team executed perfectly. Sero's tape created a bridge over the ice. Ashido's acid melted through Todoroki's barriers. Kirishima, fully hardened, smashed through the final obstacle.

  They were face-to-face with Todoroki's team.

  "Kaminari, now!" Todoroki ordered.

  Electricity burst from Kaminari's body, arcing toward them. Hancock felt her hair stand on end as the current approached.

  "EVERYONE DOWN!" Bakugo shouted, creating an explosion that propelled them backward just enough to avoid the worst of the electricity.

  But the disruption had broken their momentum. They were too far away now.

  "THIRTY SECONDS!"

  "We won't make it," Hancock said, calculating the distance.

  "Like hell we won't!" Bakugo grabbed her arm. "Trust me!"

  He pointed his hands downward and created the biggest explosion yet, launching them forward at incredible speed. Hancock felt the g-force pressing against her, felt Bakugo's grip on her arm as the only thing keeping her stable.

  Time slowed.

  She could see Todoroki's eyes widening. Could see Yaoyorozu trying to create a shield. Could see Iida's engines struggling to move them away.

  Hancock reached out, her fingers stretching toward the ten million point headband.

  Almost... almost...

  "TIME'S UP!"

  The buzzer sounded.

  Hancock's fingers brushed the headband, but she hadn't grabbed it.

  They crashed to the ground in a heap, Bakugo's arms instinctively wrapping around her to cushion the impact.

  For a moment, they lay there, breathing hard, tangled together.

  "Did we...?" Ashido asked weakly.

  "No," Hancock said quietly. "We were half a second too late."

  "DAMMIT!" Bakugo slammed his fist on the ground, but he didn't move away from Hancock. "We were so close!"

  "LET'S SEE THE RESULTS!" Midnight announced.

  The scoreboard lit up.

  First Place: Team Todoroki - 10,000,000+ points

  Second Place: Team Bakugo - 1,245 points

  Third Place: Team Shinso - 940 points

  Fourth Place: Team Midoriya - 705 points

  "WE MADE IT!" Kirishima cheered. "WE'RE IN SECOND! WE'RE ADVANCING!"

  Slowly, their team untangled themselves. Bakugo finally released Hancock, though his hand lingered on her arm for a moment longer than necessary.

  "You okay?" he asked, his voice lower, meant just for her.

  "I'm fine. You?"

  "Yeah." He stood, offering her his hand again. She took it, and he pulled her up.

  They stood there, hands still clasped, both breathing hard from exertion.

  "We almost had it," Hancock said.

  "Almost isn't good enough."

  "No. But second place means we both advance to the finals." She met his eyes. "We might face each other."

  "Good." Bakugo's grip tightened slightly. "I wanna see everything you've got. No holding back."

  "The same for you."

  "OI! BAKUGO! HANCOCK!" Kirishima waved them over. "Group hug!"

  "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Bakugo released Hancock's hand and stormed over to fend off Kirishima's enthusiasm.

  Hancock watched, and despite their loss, despite not getting the ten million points, she found herself almost smiling.

  They'd worked together perfectly. Moved as one unit. Trusted each other completely.

  It had felt... good. Really good.

  During the lunch break, Hancock found herself sitting with the team. Not alone in her corner, but actually with them.

  "That was so close!" Ashido was saying. "Another half second and we'd have had it!"

  "We did great though!" Sero added. "Second place against those odds? That's impressive!"

  "We shoulda had first," Bakugo grumbled, but there was no real heat in it.

  Hancock ate quietly, listening to their chatter. Kirishima was recounting the cavalry battle blow-by-blow, making explosion sounds and dramatic gestures. Ashido laughed at his antics. Even Bakugo cracked a small smile.

  "Hancock," Ashido turned to her suddenly. "You were amazing out there! That coordination with Bakugo? It was like you guys were reading each other's minds!"

  "We trained together," Hancock said simply.

  "Yeah, but it was more than that!" Kirishima added. "You two just... work really well together. It's kinda cool, actually."

  Hancock felt her face warm slightly. She looked at Bakugo, who was determinedly focusing on his food.

  "We're compatible fighters," she said carefully. "Nothing more."

  "Sure, sure," Ashido giggled, waggling her eyebrows.

  "OI! Stop making weird implications!" Bakugo snapped, his ears slightly red.

  "I'm not implying anything!" Ashido held up her hands innocently. "I'm just saying you guys make a good team!"

  "Tch. Whatever." But Bakugo didn't actually deny it.

  Hancock excused herself before the conversation could continue in that uncomfortable direction. She needed air, space to think.

  She found a quiet corridor and leaned against the wall, processing the morning's events.

  She'd worked with a team. Trusted them. And it had been exhilarating.

  But more than that—working with Bakugo specifically had felt natural. Easy, despite their constant bickering. Like two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly.

  Dangerous, she thought. Getting attached is dangerous.

  "There you are."

  She looked up to find Todoroki approaching.

  "Congratulations on second place," he said. "You and Bakugo fought well."

  "You defended the ten million points successfully. That's more impressive."

  "Perhaps." He paused. "I watched your teamwork. You trust him."

  It wasn't a question, but Hancock answered anyway. "In combat, yes."

  "Just in combat?"

  Hancock met his heterochromatic gaze. "What are you really asking, Todoroki?"

  "I'm asking if you've figured out what you're trying to prove yet." He turned to leave, then added over his shoulder, "Because from where I stand, it looks like you're not trying to prove you can be strong alone anymore. You're trying to prove you can be strong with someone."

  He walked away, leaving Hancock alone with those words.

  Strong with someone.

  Was that what this was? This growing connection with Bakugo, with her classmates?

  She didn't have time to analyze it further. Midnight's voice echoed through the speakers.

  "THE FINAL EVENT WILL BE... ONE-ON-ONE TOURNAMENT BATTLES! COME BACK TO THE STADIUM FOR THE BRACKET REVEAL!"

  Hancock took a deep breath and headed back.

  Whatever happened next, she'd face it head-on.

  Even if that meant facing Bakugo across the arena.