The trio breaks from their huddle in unison, spreading out just as Captain Fantastica finishes powering up. Magic circles burn brighter around his limbs, and he's gone in a flash. He streaks straight toward Justin, dropping low and swinging his leg in a sweeping kick meant to take him off his feet.
"Justin, move," Liza snaps.
She grabs his arm and yanks him sideways just in time. Justin twists with the momentum, boots skidding as he pivots and lashes out with a kick of his own. Fantastica raises his forearms to block, but the impact still sends him flying backward, heels digging grooves into the floor before he catches himself.
Braxton doesn't hesitate. "My turn," he growls, charging in with a burst of speed and throwing a heavy series of punches. Fantastica slips between them, weaving cleanly and narrowly around each strike. He counters with a sharp kick that snaps up into Braxton's chin, rocking his head back and forcing a stagger.
But that's exactly what Liza was waiting for.
"Now," she says under her breath.
Using Braxton's massive frame as cover, she dives in from above. Fantastica doesn't see her until it's too late. Her strike slams into his side, the hit snapping his body sideways and sending him hurtling straight toward Justin.
Justin plants his feet. "Got you."
He drives a punch forward with everything he has, the blow detonating against Fantastica's torso and launching him across the ring. For half a second, it looks like they've finally overwhelmed him.
"Holy hell," Braxton mutters. "Did we just do that?"
Fantastica recovers before he even hits the ground. He twists midair, magic circles flaring as he flips and rockets back toward them in one smooth motion. He appears in front of Liza in an instant and drives his palm forward, the strike landing squarely in her chest.
Liza gasps as she's sent flying backward, wings flaring uselessly as she crashes across the ring. Fantastica lands lightly, already turning back toward Justin and Braxton, eyes sharp and grin wide.
"Better," he says. "But you're not there yet."
Fantastica surges forward again, this time going straight for Justin and Braxton together. His movements blur as he throws a rapid mix of punches and kicks, striking from impossible angles. He spins and pivots between them, almost looking like he's breakdancing as he keeps both of them under pressure at once.
"Stay tight," Justin says through clenched teeth.
Braxton grunts in agreement as they brace and block, arms and forearms absorbing blow after blow. They play it defensively, searching for openings, but Fantastica doesn't give them one. Every feint flows into another attack, every angle covered.
Liza dives back into the fight, wings cutting through the air. Fantastica reacts instantly. He snaps a kick up into Braxton's jaw, knocking him backward to clear space. "Out of the way," Fantastica says calmly, turning his attention to Liza.
But Braxton doesn't go down. As he stumbles, his tail lashes out on instinct, wrapping around Fantastica's leg. "Not done yet," he growls.
The sudden pull throws Fantastica off balance just enough. Liza capitalizes, slamming into him with a flying kick that drives him sideways. Justin follows immediately, rocketing in with a full-powered punch that lands squarely and sends Fantastica crashing to the ground.
"Don't stop," Liza shouts.
All three rush him at once. Justin and Braxton hammer him with heavy blows while Liza threads between them, striking fast and precisely. Fantastica tries to recover, rolling and blocking, but the coordinated assault doesn't let up. Each hit pushes him closer to the edge of the ring.
One final combined strike sends Fantastica skidding across the floor and tumbling out of bounds. He lands outside the ring with a heavy thud and stays there.
The room goes quiet.
Evermend raises her hand. "That's it," she says. "Match over."
Justin, Braxton, and Liza slow to a stop, breathing hard as the realization sinks in. They won.
The three of them break into relieved laughter and slap hands, congratulating each other as the adrenaline finally starts to drain. Braxton lets out a loud breath and throws his arms up. "I can't believe that actually worked," he says, tail swishing behind him. Justin grins wide and bumps shoulders with Liza. "Told you teamwork would look good on us."
Fantastica pushes himself back to his feet a moment later. There's a thin line of blood along his cheek, which he wipes away with the back of his glove. Instead of looking annoyed, he's smiling as he walks over to them. "You three did well," he says. "That wasn't luck. You listened, you adapted, and you covered each other."
He looks at each of them in turn. "My training hasn't been for nothing. That said, you've all still got a long way to go. This was good progress, not the finish line."
Evermend steps closer, arms folded, clearly pleased. "You did a fine job with them, Fantastica," she says. "They're evolving fast, faster than most I've seen."
Her tone shifts, more serious now. "The agency will do everything it can to protect its own. But we can't have eyes everywhere, and the Decay Group is one of the craftiest packs of underworld brutes this country's ever produced. I've been dealing with their kind since I was a rookie myself."
She looks at the trio, gaze steady. "You're the youngest members of this agency. You're the future. It's the job of people like us to give you the tools to survive, to grow, and to lift yourselves up." She pauses. "I expect you to use those tools to become the great heroes your potential says you can be."
Braxton nods eagerly. "You can count on us," he says without hesitation.
Justin flashes a confident smile. "Yeah. That part's already handled."
Liza straightens, her voice quieter but firm. "I'll do my best to live up to it."
Evermend nods once, satisfied. "Good." She turns to Fantastica. "Get yourself checked in the infirmary."
Fantastica sighs. "I'm fine."
She arches a brow. "That wasn't a suggestion."
He sighs again and relents. "Alright, alright."
As the two of them head out, the trio remains behind, battered, exhausted, and standing just a little taller than before.