M108- A Totally Fair and Not Rigged Game

The warm sand shifted under them as the waves rolled in, the rhythmic sound, the occasional clink of ice in glasses. Diego, stretched out like he belonged on the cover of a beachside magazine, raised his margarita in a lazy salute before taking a deep sip.

“Man, I love our powers,” he said, pressing the cold glass to his temple. “We can just fly a jet straight into the Pacific, far away from every country, every problem, villain, hero, and all the other bullshit that comes with them. Just sea, sun, and cocktails.” He took another sip and sighed. “Nigel, great cocktail, by the way.”

Nigel, adjusting his sleeves despite the heat, gave a slight nod. “Naturally.”

Anthony, sitting cross-legged in the sand, tilted his head back and took in the open sky. “I don’t know, being isolated on an island forever might make even you shut up, Diego.”

Diego grinned. “Doubt it. I’d just start making friends with the seagulls. Maybe teach them how to steal from tourists when we let humans visit.”

“I’d pay to see that,” Sofia muttered, adjusting her sunglasses.

Maria, lying next to Nero, reached for her drink. “I wouldn’t mind staying a while. No schedules, no expectations, just—” she gestured lazily at the scenery, “—this.”

Nero took a sip of his own drink, leaning back on his elbows. “Yeah, well, enjoy it while it lasts. Sooner or later, something will find us.”

Donald exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “You could just let us enjoy the peace instead of ruining it in advance.”

Nero shrugged. “I like to be realistic.”

“Realistic or paranoid?” Diego countered, tapping the rim of his glass.

“Practical,” Nero corrected, smirking.

Anthony stretched his legs out, letting his feet sink into the sand. “You know what’s funny? If someone actually did try to find us, they’d get here, realize we’re just lying around drinking, and probably die from disappointment before they could even start a fight.”

Sofia snorted. “Depends. If they show up and see Diego, they might think they stumbled onto some kind of illegal beach photoshoot.”

Diego grinned. “Hey, no complaints from me. I look fantastic in this light.”

Maria sighed. “Diego, if we were stranded on this island for a year, you’d still somehow be moisturized and perfectly tanned.”

“Of course. I have standards.”

Donald raised a brow. “And if we didn’t have supplies?”

Diego scoffed. “Please, I’d find a way. Nature respects beauty.”

Anthony threw a handful of sand at him. “Nature doesn’t give a shit about you.”

Diego yelped, brushing himself off. “That’s assault.”

Nigel, unfazed, took a sip of his own drink. “If it was, you deserved it.”

The group laughed as the conversation drifted, drinks and ocean breeze making everything feel a little lighter.

“Okay, real talk,” Sofia said, shifting to lean on her elbows. “If we actually got stuck here long-term, who do you think would break first?”

Diego pointed at Donald immediately. “Him.”

Donald glared. “Why me?”

“You seem like the type to overthink it. You’d be fine for a while, then suddenly crack under the weight of your own thoughts.”

Donald rolled his eyes. “I’m not the one who talks to seagulls, Diego.”

Nero tapped his chin. “Actually, I think Anthony would break first.”

Anthony scoffed. “Me?”

Maria nodded. “Yeah. You’d try to act like everything’s fine, but then one day, you’d snap and start yelling at the sky about how inefficient coconuts are as weapons.”

Anthony frowned. “...That’s oddly specific.”

Sofia nodded. “Which means it’s accurate.”

Diego smirked. “Meanwhile, I’d thrive.”

“Until your moisturizer ran out,” Donald shot back.

Diego gasped dramatically. “How dare you suggest such horror?”

Maria laughed. “Honestly, Sofia, you’d probably be fine.”

Sofia shrugged. “Yeah, I’d just build some kind of system to make things easier. Maybe solar panels. Maybe a distress signal. Who knows?”

Anthony pointed at Nero. “What about him?”

Maria glanced at Nero. “He’d be fine.”

Diego nodded. “Yeah, but not in a normal way. He’d just decide, ‘Well, guess this is life now,’ and adapt like a damn machine.”

Nero tilted his glass toward Diego. “Accurate.”

The conversation dipped into silence for a moment as the waves rolled in and out.

Sofia glanced at Nigel. “What about you? You’d probably handle it better than all of us.”

Nigel placed his glass down. “I have endured worse.”

Diego grinned. “See? That’s a man who’s been through some shit.”

Nigel didn’t confirm or deny.

The sun dipped lower, painting the sky in warm hues.

Maria stretched her arms out. “We should do this more often.”

Diego raised his glass. “Agreed.”

Anthony smirked. “Before or after someone tries to kill us again?”

“Both,” Nero said, smirking. “Obviously.”

Sofia casually reached over, pressing a palm full of ice against Diego’s bare back.

Diego let out a very undignified yelp, twisting away so fast he nearly spilled his drink. “What the hell, Sofia?”

She sipped her own drink like nothing happened. “Power-wise, Boss and I have the highest chance of surviving.” She waved her hand, letting a few ice shards form between her fingers before flicking them into the sand. “Well, except Maria, who’d probably illusion herself into believing Nero’s still hugging her even if he wasn’t.”

Maria tightened her arms around Nero, shifting just enough to glance at Sofia. “You’re just jealous. Anthony hasn’t been showing love lately?”

Sofia rolled her eyes, but Anthony nearly choked on his drink. “We’ve been a little busy, in case you forgot. Whole world wants us dead.”

“Hardly an excuse,” Nero said, grinning before pulling Maria in for an exaggerated, drawn-out kiss just to be a menace.

Diego groaned. “Some of us are bitchless. Can you please not?”

Maria’s illusion vines snapped around his wrists just as Sofia sent a sharp stream of ice-cold water straight at him.

“Who do you call bitches, bitch?”

Diego yelped, twisting to escape, but the vines held firm. “Alright, damn, I take it back! You’re goddesses of destruction, is that better?”

Maria flicked her fingers, and the vines disappeared. Sofia didn’t call off the water so quickly, letting it drip down Diego’s back before finally stopping.

“You two are a menace,” Diego grumbled, shaking out his wet shirt.

Anthony snorted. “You kinda had it coming.”

“You’re all against me. Noted.” Diego took another long sip of his margarita. “When we get off this island, I’m finding a lonely, emotionally vulnerable billionaire to finance my revenge.”

“Good luck with that,” Donald muttered. “Pretty sure you’d get bored halfway through and end up seducing their butler instead.”

Diego tilted his head, considering. “Fair point.”

“Maybe I should send Diego undercover,” Nero said, barely suppressing a smirk. “What do you think? Wanna charm Doom?”

Maria, Sofia, Anthony, Donald, and Nigel all raised their hands instantly.

Diego sat up, clutching his chest like he’d just been mortally wounded. “Wow. Not even a second of hesitation? No ‘Oh, maybe Diego has limits’? No ‘Oh, maybe we shouldn’t throw our most valuable member into the arms of a dictator’?”

Anthony gave him a flat look. “You literally just said you’d seduce a billionaire’s butler for revenge.”

“Yeah, but that’s for a noble cause,” Diego shot back.

Maria took a sip of her drink. “And this wouldn’t be?”

Sofia tapped her fingers against her glass. “Think about it, Diego. Latveria’s closed off from the world, which means a high-end spy network. And you could get inside without even needing a disguise.”

Diego narrowed his eyes. “Are you implying I’m Doom’s type?”

Nigel adjusted his sleeves. “You are everyone’s type.”

Diego pointed at him. “See, that’s the kind of support I expect. Take notes, all of you.”

Anthony shook his head. “Alright, but real talk—let’s say you do this. What’s the approach? Do you just stroll in, flash a smile, and hope Doom hands over his secrets?”

“Obviously not,” Diego scoffed. “I’d flash a smile, throw in a brooding backstory, and then seduce him over a tense game of chess.”

Donald exhaled through his nose. “You think Doom plays chess?”

Diego scoffed. “He’s a megalomaniacal genius who thinks he’s better than everyone. He absolutely plays chess.”

Nero leaned back on his elbows. “I’m just saying, if anyone could get into Doom’s inner circle with nothing but charm and audacity, it’d be you.”

Diego rubbed his chin. “You really believe in me, huh?”

Maria nodded. “Yeah. Which is why we’d place bets on how long it takes before Doom gets tired of you and throws you off a balcony.”

Sofia grinned. “I give it two weeks.”

Anthony considered. “Ten days.”

Donald swirled his drink. “One week.”

Nigel barely hesitated. “Three days.”

Diego scoffed. “Alright, fuck all of you.”

Maria lifted a finger. “To be fair, we’d also bet on how long it takes before you turn it around and make Doom obsessed with you.”

Diego paused, staring at her. “…That’s fair.”

Anthony shook his head. “So is this what we’re doing now? Planning espionage missions while drinking on a beach?”

Sofia shrugged. “It’s called multitasking.”

Donald swirled the ice in his glass. “Better than waiting until we’re being shot at to make plans.”

Nero nodded. “Exactly. Look at us. Strategic geniuses.”

Diego stretched his arms out with a lazy grin. “Speaking of strategy, if we’re serious about sending me into Doom’s clutches, I require full prep. A tailored wardrobe, custom cologne, and extensive research on what he likes.”

Maria smirked. “You mean extensive research on how to seduce him?”

“Exactly.”

Sofia adjusted her sunglasses. “You really think you could pull it off?”

Diego scoffed. “Please. Doom might be a genius, but he’s still human.”

Anthony raised a brow. “Debatable.”

Donald leaned back on his hands. “And what happens if you actually succeed?”

Diego blinked. “Huh.”

Maria tilted her head. “You didn’t think that far, did you?”

Diego sipped his margarita. “I was kinda hoping we’d all just be impressed and move on.”

Sofia snorted. “Oh no, we’re seeing this through.”

Nigel finally spoke up, completely calm. “Do you require a dossier on Dr. Doom’s known interests?”

Diego turned, eyes lighting up. “Nigel. My rock. My foundation. Yes.”

Nigel simply nodded. “Very well.”

Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re really doing this.”

Nero smirked. “We’ve done dumber things.”

Maria stretched. “And somehow, it always works out.”

Diego grinned. “See? This is why I love us.”

Sofia leaned back into the sand. “Well, if we’re going all in, we might as well do it right. Nigel, pull the files. Diego, start practicing your ‘tragic yet irresistible’ backstory.”

Diego put a hand over his heart. “I was born for this.”

Anthony groaned. “We are absolutely getting killed for this.”

Donald sighed. “Yeah, but it’ll be hilarious.”

Nero raised his glass. “To the stupidest plan we’ve come up with yet.”

The rest of them clinked their drinks together.

Then, with a flash of the Bifrost, Loki happened.

The moment he landed, everyone groaned.

“What do you want, brother?” Donald asked, already rubbing his temple.

Loki grinned as his usual Asgardian attire vanished, replaced by a sleek black swimsuit. He spread his arms wide, as if embracing the sun. “Nothing in particular. Heimdall mentioned you were here, so I thought I’d take a look. After all, since you faked your death, dismantled the world’s richest elites, and, oh, managed to somehow forbid me from even speaking your name, I figured I’d earned myself a little vacation.”

Diego stood up, stretching like he had all the time in the world. “Handsome Asgardian stud delivered himself. Let me practice on you then.” He sauntered toward Loki, drink still in hand, flashing his best grin. “Let’s see… brooding, a little theatrical, definitely into himself—oh, you’re perfect.”

Loki didn’t move, just smirked. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

Diego tilted his head, pretending to think. “If you’re into flattery, sure. If not, well… we’ll call it an observation.”

Anthony flicked the rim of his glass. “You’re gonna need more than that if you actually want to pull off a Doom mission.”

“Please,” Diego waved him off, “Loki’s the warm-up. He likes to hear himself talk, which means all I have to do is ask the right questions and let him do all the work.”

Loki chuckled, turning his attention to Nero. “I must admit, I am curious—how exactly did you plan to use him as bait for Doom?”

Nero took a sip of his drink, not bothering to look up. “Throw him into a fancy dinner and wait.”

“That’s insulting,” Diego muttered. “I’d at least make it look effortless.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time you flirted your way into trouble,” Sofia pointed out.

“I call it networking,” Diego corrected.

Donald leaned back. “Networking that gets you chased out of places.”

“Allegedly.” Diego took a sip of his drink. “And for the record, it worked. Most of the time.”

Maria raised a brow. “Wasn’t there that one time in Paris—?”

“We’re not discussing Paris,” Diego interrupted.

Anthony laughed. “That bad?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Diego muttered.

Loki watched the exchange with amusement, settling himself comfortably on one of the beach chairs. “As much as I’d love to continue hearing about Diego’s long list of questionable choices, I am here for a reason.”

Nero exhaled through his nose. “Figured.”

“Nothing dire,” Loki assured. “But I am rather intrigued about what you’ve been up to lately. I assume it has something to do with the sudden panic among certain world leaders?”

Sofia scoffed. “You assume right.”

Anthony cracked his knuckles. “Though ‘panic’ is putting it lightly.”

Loki smirked, swirling his fingers in the air as if stirring an invisible drink. “Interesting.” His gaze shifted to Nero. “What have you done with the Tesseract? Father asked me to deliver a message. He summons all of you to discuss it.”

Nero took another glass from Nigel’s tray, tipping it slightly before taking a sip. “The Tesseract is in a safe place. Since even your father doesn’t know where, it’s safe enough.” He set the glass down, glancing at the others. “But we’ll answer his summons.”

Diego leaned back, stretching lazily. “You know, for a guy who loves grand speeches, that was surprisingly to the point.”

Loki gave an exaggerated shrug. “I assumed you’d appreciate efficiency. Or do you prefer I drag it out with unnecessary theatrics?”

Sofia raised a hand. “I vote for theatrics. If we have to deal with Asgardian nonsense, I’d rather be entertained.”

Donald gestured toward Loki. “He’s already standing here in a swimsuit like he owns the place. That’s theatrical enough.”

Loki examined himself with a smirk. “It’s called blending in.”

Anthony side-eyed him. “Blending in would require you to act normal.”

Diego pointed at Loki’s drink. “Speaking of acting normal, you better not be planning on just dropping royal summons and running off. You’re drinking now, which means you’re committed to beach time.”

Loki raised his glass in agreement. “For a short while. I’m not one to waste good hospitality.”

Maria tapped her glass against Nero’s. “So what are we walking into? Odin calling us up like we’re on his payroll sounds more serious than the usual.”

Nero exhaled, tilting his head slightly. “We’ll find out when we get there.”

Sofia rolled her eyes. “Fantastic. Love vague divine mandates. Always a good time.”

Diego nudged Loki with his foot. “Come on, you’re here, give us a preview. What’s the old man thinking?”

Loki took a slow sip. “You assume I’m privy to all of Odin’s thoughts.”

Donald barely looked up from his drink. “If I know my foolish brother, this is another ploy of his. When we arrive in Asgard, he’ll masquerade as Father to take the Tesseract and vanish.”

Loki pressed a hand to his chest, mock-offended. “Thor, brother, that wounds me. Do you really think so little of me?”

“Yes,” Donald and Sofia said at the same time.

Diego waved a hand. “Hang on, let’s not be too hasty. I, for one, would like to see Loki attempt an Odin impression. The fake beard alone would be worth the trip.”

Anthony snorted. “Nah, the fun part is when it inevitably goes to shit. You just know he’d get bored mid-scheme and start throwing in his own dramatic flair.”

“Untrue,” Loki objected smoothly. “If I were to impersonate Father, I would be flawless.”

“Except for the part where you wouldn’t shut up,” Nero said.

Maria nodded. “Yeah, Odin’s good at just sitting there looking ominous. You’d make it five minutes before giving a monologue.”

Loki’s lips twitched, but he didn’t deny it.

Diego sat up, tossing his empty glass into the sand like it was beneath him. “Well, since we’re eight now, let’s play superpowered beach volleyball.”

Anthony scoffed. “Oh yeah, because that won’t end with someone getting flung into the ocean.”

“Come on,” Diego waved a hand. “We literally have powers that let us cheat at everything. What’s the point if we don’t abuse them for dumb shit?”

Maria tilted her head. “You just want an excuse to show off.”

Sofia stretched out her legs. “Yeah, and?”

Nero exhaled, pushing himself up. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

Diego grinned. “Knew you’d see reason, boss.”

Donald, still lying on his back, sighed. “I feel like I should object, but at this point, it’s inevitable.”

Nigel stood, already dusting nonexistent sand from his clothes. “If I must participate, I trust this will not devolve into unnecessary destruction.”

Anthony cracked his knuckles. “We make no promises.”

They set up the makeshift court with two sticks for a net post, and Maria lazily conjured an illusion of an actual net, because none of them could be bothered to tie anything together. Sofia iced up a ball from seawater, passing it between her hands before tossing it up. “Alright, teams?”

Diego pointed at Nero. “You and me, boss.”

“Back off, bitch,” Maria cut in immediately. “I know you want an excuse to slap his butt.” She stepped in front of Nero like a mother hen, arms crossed.

Diego rolled his eyes. “Fine, you saw through me. I choose Loki then.”

Nero just pulled Maria toward him, amused.

Diego turned to the rest. “Alright, Donald, Nigel, you’re with me. Anthony, Sofia, you’re with Nero and Maria.”

Nero waved a hand. “Less talking, more playing. Let’s get this started.”

Sofia tossed the ice-ball up, served, and the game began.

Nigel received it effortlessly, his Cloud Flames subtly amplifying the ball’s impact, making it bounce just a little harder than expected. Diego was already in position, his Storm Flames dulling the force before sending it straight up toward Donald.

Donald, catching on immediately, charged his Lightning Flames through the ball, hardening it just before Loki leapt up, hammering it down with the added weight.

Anthony lunged, his Sun Flames flaring brighter as he met the reinforced impact, diffusing the density before sending the ball flying back up toward Nero.

Nero barely had to move. He tapped the ball upward, his Sky Flames stabilizing its erratic spin, feeding the momentum cleanly to Maria.

Maria smirked, raising her hand. The moment the ball left her fingers, it split into three, each illusion-perfect and undistinguishable from the real one.

Donald cursed, trying to track the real one. "Which—?"

Too late.

The real ball dropped straight down into the sand at their feet.

"Point," Sofia announced, adjusting her sunglasses.

Diego groaned. “This is actual bullshit.”

Maria simply sipped her drink. “Play smarter.”

Loki grabbed the ball and rolled his shoulders. “Fine. Let’s adjust.”

He served, this time adding a flicker of trickery—his own illusionary afterimage of the ball flickering in the air, masking the real trajectory.

Nero, unbothered, adjusted his footing. “Sofia.”

Sofia, already reading the feint, flicked her fingers, sending a sharp burst of Rain Flames toward the ball mid-air, slowing its velocity. Diego noticed the delay, repositioning slightly—but Anthony had already adjusted, using the controlled pace to set it up cleanly.

“Maria.”

Maria didn’t just shift the ball’s path—she let it flicker, warping its presence entirely. For a second, Diego saw two balls at once—one dropping straight, the other curving wide. His instincts kicked in, choosing wrong. By the time he corrected, the real ball was already out of reach.

Diego reacted instantly, his Storm Flames twisting the air to counterbalance the fake trajectory. He managed to slow the shift, but Maria had layered the illusion—just when he thought he had it, the real ball dipped just past Nigel, untouched.

Anthony grinned. “This is too easy.”

Donald picked up the ball, scowling. “Alright, enough illusions. Let’s see how you handle a real hit.”

He tossed it up, and before anyone could react, he slammed it with full Lightning Flame reinforcement.

The ball shot forward like a bullet.

Nero’s Sky Flames flickered, dampening the raw power just enough to keep it manageable as Sofia moved in. But Diego was waiting—Storm Flames twisting the air, forcing the ball to dip lower than expected.

Anthony dove, barely scraping under it to pop it back into play.

Maria caught it mid-air, twirling it once in her hands before launching it—except this time, she didn’t use illusions.

Instead, she let the ball hover just long enough to mess with their timing before sending it careening toward Loki with unnatural speed.

Loki narrowed his eyes, flicking his fingers just as he made contact, diverting the force to Donald.

Donald reinforced it again, sending it straight back, and Diego immediately reduced the velocity just enough for Nigel to send it spinning with precise control.

Sofia, adjusting at the last second, used her Rain Flames to douse just enough momentum to stop the ball from sinking too deep into the sand, popping it up toward Nero.

Nero, not missing a beat, stabilized the energy and passed it to Anthony, who grinned. “Hope you can take this.”

His Sun Flames burned bright as he slammed the ball down.

Diego caught the ball, his Storm Flames swirling subtly around his hands to absorb the sheer force of Anthony’s hit. Instead of just sending it back, he used the residual momentum to give it a deceptive lift, disguising its arc as it shot toward Loki.

Loki smirked, stepping into position. “Let’s return the favor.”

He barely touched it, just enough to angle it toward Donald, who was already charging his Lightning Flames. Donald didn’t hold back this time—he hardened the impact, sending the ball careening toward Maria’s side like a cannon shot.

Sofia read it first. “Too fast.”

She reacted instantly, her Rain Flames washing over the air, dampening the intensity of the spin just enough for Maria to get into place.

Maria didn’t catch it—she let it hover just above her palms, flickering briefly with an illusion that twisted the trajectory mid-air. By the time she sent it up toward Nero, the ball’s path was erratic enough to throw off anyone watching.

Nero, entirely unfazed, caught it cleanly and tapped it up toward Anthony.

Anthony grinned. “Let’s make this interesting.”

He didn’t just spike it—his Sun Flames flared, the sheer heat distorting the air as the ball shot down at a brutal angle.

Nigel, perfectly composed, adjusted his stance at the last moment, his Cloud Flames propagating the force as he deflected the ball with a controlled bump toward Diego.

Diego barely got under it, twisting his wrist to kill just enough speed before flicking it toward Loki.

Loki smirked, palming the ball lightly before launching it with a precise flick of his wrist toward Nero’s side.

Sofia dove, barely keeping it up as Maria set it.

Anthony took the shot, slamming it again, but this time, Donald was ready—his Lightning Flames surged, absorbing the impact before he redirected it back with terrifying speed.

Before anyone could react, Loki used illusions to mask the ball’s position mid-flight. It flickered in and out of sight, warping its trajectory just enough to throw them off. Nero could feel it, the shift in energy unmistakable, but he didn’t interfere. He smirked and let it happen.

Diego’s team scored.

The game escalated quickly.

The next few rounds turned into a relentless back-and-forth, both teams scoring in rapid succession. Maria weaved her illusions into near-impossible shots, forcing Loki and Diego to adapt on the fly. Sofia controlled the game’s pace with her Rain Flames, making spikes drop sooner than expected or slowing the ball just enough for her team to reposition. Donald hardened each return with precise Lightning Flame control, forcing their opponents to use every trick to keep the ball from drilling straight into the sand.

Anthony's sheer force combined with Nero’s balance made their spikes a nightmare to return, but Nigel’s calculated Cloud Flame multiplications meant he could redirect even the hardest shots with terrifying efficiency.

By the time they reached the final point, both teams were locked at match point. One more score would settle it.

Nigel served.

The ball arced high, spinning fast.

Sofia read it first. She stepped into position, her Rain Flames coating her arms as she absorbed the momentum before setting it up cleanly for Nero.

Nero didn’t take the shot—he barely touched it, redirecting it toward Maria.

Maria smirked, letting the ball hover just long enough for Diego’s instincts to kick in before twisting its trajectory with an illusion. Diego reacted, going for the wrong angle.

“Shit,” Diego muttered, correcting mid-motion, but it was too late.

Nigel, however, was already there. He barely moved, his Cloud Flames extending from his fingertips, multiplying the force of the ball just enough to send it toward Donald.

Donald didn’t hesitate. He charged his Lightning Flames through the ball, reinforcing it just as Loki leapt.

Loki, smirking, met it mid-air and sent it hurtling downward toward Anthony’s side.

Anthony caught it with a grunt, his Sun Flames flaring as he redirected the energy into his counterattack.

Sofia was already in place, dampening the ball’s speed just enough for Maria to set it one last time.

Nero moved.

Sky Flames flared around him—not just the passive harmony that usually stabilized the game, but all seven Flames at once.

The ball became a streak of burning light, roaring down like a meteor. Nero’s Sun Flames turned it into a miniature sun, the heat distorting the air as it slammed toward the sand. Rain Flames wove through it, not to slow, but to ensure no force was lost—pure control, guiding the strike like a blade. Mist Flames coiled around, twisting the trajectory just enough to make it unreadable until it was too late. Lightning crackled across the surface, charging the impact with raw force. Storm Flames eroded the very space around it, making the air itself shudder as the ball ripped through. Cloud Flames didn’t just multiply the force; they expanded the very effect, stretching the pressure outward like a tidal wave.

Diego moved first, hands up, Storm Flames flaring—softening the impact as he set the ball toward Donald.

It didn’t matter. The second his hands met the ball, his own energy buckled. His knees hit the sand as he gritted his teeth, forced to let go as the weight crushed through his hold.

“Shit—”

Donald stepped in next, bracing as his Lightning surged. He hardened everything—the ball, the air around it, even his own muscles—trying to endure, but the moment he made contact, the charge overloaded. Sparks shot up his arms as his own flames rebelled against him. He recoiled, fingers numb, forced back before he could even think of a counter. 

Nigel went last, hands steady, Cloud Flames expanding wildly to launch a return—only for the pressure to overwhelm and break through.

For half a second, it looked like he might slow it.

Then his own energy collapsed.

The sheer force of Nero’s Flames shredded through every layer of resistance like it was nothing.

And Loki?

Loki didn’t even try.

His eyes snapped to the ball, widened just enough to betray something he would never admit—actual hesitation. He narrowed his eyes, instinct screaming before he even thought to move. There was no trickery here—just raw, absolute force. Even he wouldn’t risk stepping in front of that. 

The ball hit the sand like a cannon shot.

A shockwave exploded outward, kicking up a thick blast of heat and mist, knocking Diego fully onto his back and forcing Donald to brace against the force. Nigel held his ground, barely, sleeves flaring as he adjusted, but even he had to acknowledge—

There was no stopping that.

Silence.

Then Diego coughed, rolling onto his side. “Yeah, alright. That was some actual bullshit.”

Donald flexed his fingers, the residual static still jumping between them. “That was excessive.”

Nigel smoothed his sleeves. “It was definitive.”

Loki, arms crossed, finally let out a breath, expression unreadable. “I see now why you’re so insufferably confident.”

Maria, grinning, stretched her arms behind her head. “We win.”

Anthony shook out his hands, flashing a grin. “You guys even trying?”

Diego threw a handful of sand at him. “Bite me.”

Sofia adjusted her sunglasses, looking perfectly unbothered. “Maybe next time, don’t underestimate the boss.”

Nero stood where he was, arms relaxed, watching the heat still rise from the sand where the ball had buried itself. He exhaled, shaking his fingers out. “Alright, someone dig that out, or we’re down a ball.”