Dabi's blue flames erupted in a wall of heat, forcing Boa and Katsuki to split apart.

  "SPREAD OUT!" Katsuki shouted, already moving. "Don't give him a single target!"

  Boa enhanced her legs and leaped sideways, landing in a crouch. Her mind raced through tactical assessments: Dabi's flames were hotter than normal fire—cremation temperature, capable of turning bone to ash. Direct contact would be fatal. They needed to stay mobile, create openings, exploit any weakness.

  "You two actually work well together," Dabi observed, sending a stream of blue fire toward Boa. "Shame I have to separate you."

  She rolled away from the flames, the heat searing even at a distance. "Katsuki! Smoke cover!"

  Understanding immediately, Katsuki created a series of controlled explosions that generated thick smoke between them and Dabi. The visibility dropped to almost nothing.

  In the confusion, Boa circled around, moving silently through the smoke. She could hear Dabi's footsteps, could track his position by the glow of his flames.

  When she had the angle, she struck the ground with a Perfume Femur: Gorgon Strike, petrifying the earth in a wide circle around where Dabi stood.

  The stone spread rapidly—too fast for him to escape entirely. His left foot was caught, petrified up to the ankle.

  "Clever," Dabi said, looking down at his trapped foot without apparent concern. He simply increased the heat of his flames until the stone around his ankle cracked and crumbled. "But not clever enough."

  "NOW!" Katsuki's voice rang out.

  From above—he'd used the smoke cover to launch himself high—Katsuki descended with both hands aimed at Dabi.

  "STUN GRENADE!"

  The explosion was blinding, deafening. Dabi staggered, momentarily disoriented by the light and sound.

  Boa didn't waste the opportunity. She kissed her fingertip and drew the bow. "Slave Arrow!"

  A hundred arrows rained down on Dabi from multiple angles. He couldn't dodge them all while still recovering from the stun grenade.

  Seven arrows struck him—shoulder, leg, arm, torso.

  Petrification spread from each impact point, gray stone creeping across his skin.

  For a moment, Boa thought they'd won.

  Then Dabi's entire body erupted in blue flames—so hot that the stone itself began to crack and melt. Within seconds, he'd burned through the petrification, leaving his clothes singed but his skin somehow unharmed beneath the scars.

  "That actually hurt," he said, genuine surprise in his voice. "Interesting. You're both stronger than the reports suggested."

  "We're full of surprises," Katsuki growled, landing beside Boa. He was breathing hard—maintaining that level of explosive output was draining. "Ready to see more?"

  "Actually, no. I'm getting bored." Dabi's expression hardened. "Let's end this."

  The blue flames intensified, forming a massive sphere around his body. The temperature spiked so high that the grass beneath his feet turned to ash, the air itself seeming to warp from the heat.

  "He's going to incinerate the entire area," Boa realized with horror.

  "MOVE!" Katsuki grabbed her arm and blasted them both backward with a massive explosion, putting distance between them and Dabi.

  But the blue flames were spreading like a wave, consuming everything in their path. Trees burst into flame. The ground charred black. The smoke became so thick it was impossible to see.

  "We need to retreat!" Boa coughed, her eyes stinging.

  "NO! We can't let him reach the other students!"

  "Katsuki, we can't beat him! Not like this!"

  Before he could argue, a voice cut through the smoke—Mandalay's telepathic projection: "Bakugo! Hancock! Fall back immediately! That's an order from Eraserhead! Reinforcements are incoming!"

  "Reinforcements?" Katsuki looked toward the main building, where more pro heroes were emerging—Vlad King with blood constructs, Pixie-Bob with earth golems, and in the distance, the distinctive silhouette of All Might arriving at full speed.

  "THE CAVALRY'S HERE!" All Might's voice boomed across the camp. "STUDENTS, EVACUATE! WE'LL HANDLE THE LEAGUE!"

  Dabi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "There's the big guy. Well, this got complicated." He pulled out a communicator. "Shigaraki, All Might's here. Do we proceed or abort?"

  Through the flames and smoke, Boa couldn't hear the response, but Dabi's expression soured.

  "Fine. Retreating." He looked at Katsuki with genuine interest. "See you around, explosive kid. The League's definitely interested in recruiting you. Think about it."

  "I'D RATHER DIE!"

  "We'll see." Dabi's body began to dissolve into black mist—the same warping effect from Kurogiri, the League's teleportation villain. "This isn't over."

  And then he was gone.

  The flames died immediately without Dabi's Quirk to sustain them, leaving charred devastation in their wake.

  "KATSUKI! BOA!" Kirishima's voice called out from somewhere in the smoke. "Are you guys okay?!"

  "We're fine!" Katsuki shouted back, though he was clearly injured—burns on his arms from getting too close to Dabi's flames, exhaustion from overusing his Quirk.

  Boa wasn't much better. Her breathing was labored from smoke inhalation, and she'd pushed her Slave Arrow to its limits trying to petrify Dabi.

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  All Might arrived in a blur of motion, immediately checking them for injuries. "Young Bakugo! Young Hancock! Thank goodness you're safe! What were you thinking, engaging a villain directly?!"

  "He was going to attack the other students," Boa said firmly. "We created a delay until reinforcements arrived."

  All Might's expression was conflicted—torn between pride at their heroism and anger at their recklessness. "Nevertheless, you should have evacuated as ordered. You're not ready for combat against the League yet."

  "We held our own," Katsuki said defensively.

  "You survived. There's a difference." All Might's tone was gentle but firm. "Now come. We need to regroup and assess the damage."

  The full scope of the attack became clear as dawn broke.

  The League of Villains had launched a coordinated assault on the training camp with multiple objectives: create chaos, assess UA's response capabilities, and attempt to abduct certain students.

  They'd partially succeeded.

  "One student is missing," Aizawa reported, his face grim. The entire class had gathered in the main building—now damaged but still standing. "Bakugo was a target, but thanks to Hancock's intervention, that abduction failed. However, during the chaos..."

  He paused, and Boa's stomach dropped.

  "Ragdoll—one of the Pussycats—was taken. The League captured a pro hero."

  Horrified silence fell over the students.

  "This is our fault," Midoriya said, his voice breaking. "If we'd been stronger—"

  "This is the League's fault," Aizawa cut him off sharply. "And theirs alone. You all did exactly what you were supposed to do—you evacuated, you protected each other, and those who engaged did so to protect their classmates." His gaze fell on Boa and Katsuki. "Even if their methods were... unorthodox."

  "How did they find us?" Yaoyorozu asked. "The location was supposed to be secret."

  "We're investigating. But the League has demonstrated sophisticated intelligence gathering." Aizawa's jaw tightened. "They knew our location, our schedule, our student roster. Someone is feeding them information, or they have access to channels we haven't secured."

  The implications were chilling. A mole within UA? Hacked communications? Either way, nowhere was safe.

  "What happens now?" Todoroki asked.

  "Now, we evacuate properly," Principal Nezu said, appearing in the doorway with several other UA staff. "The camp is compromised. We're moving all students to a secure location in Tokyo while we investigate. Your parents have been notified and are waiting."

  "And the League?" Katsuki's fists were clenched. "We're just gonna let them get away with this?"

  "The pro heroes will handle the League," Nezu said firmly. "Your role is to train, to grow stronger, to prepare for the day when you can face these threats properly. But that day is not today."

  It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Boa understood the logic. They'd gotten lucky against Dabi—if All Might hadn't arrived when he did, the outcome could have been much worse.

  The class was loaded onto buses under heavy pro hero escort. The journey back to Tokyo was quiet, subdued. The excitement and camaraderie of the training camp had been shattered by the League's attack.

  Boa sat next to Katsuki again, both of them staring out the window in silence.

  "We could have died," she said quietly.

  "But we didn't."

  "We got lucky."

  "We fought smart. Together." His hand found hers between the seats. "That's not luck. That's teamwork."

  "Teamwork that almost got us killed."

  "Teamwork that saved other students from being abducted." Katsuki's jaw was set. "Dabi said I was a target. If you hadn't been there, if we hadn't delayed him, he might have succeeded."

  Boa squeezed his hand. "Then I'm glad I stayed."

  "Yeah. Me too." He paused. "But Boa—Dabi said the League wants to recruit me. Why? What do they want with me specifically?"

  "I don't know. But whatever their plan is, we won't let them succeed."

  "Damn right we won't."

  They rode the rest of the way in silence, hands linked, both processing the trauma of the attack and the implications of the League's interest in Katsuki.

  UA's main campus was a flurry of activity when they arrived. Parents were waiting, pro heroes were conducting security sweeps, and media vans were camped outside the gates.

  The attack on the training camp was already national news.

  "KATSUKI!" A woman's voice rang out—Katsuki's mother, Mitsuki, pushing through the crowd. She grabbed him in a surprisingly fierce hug. "You idiot! Fighting villains! What were you thinking?!"

  "Get off me, hag!" But Katsuki didn't actually push her away.

  His father, Masaru, looked at Boa with a gentle smile. "You must be Hancock. Katsuki's mentioned you."

  "He has?" Boa was surprised.

  "Constantly," Mitsuki said, releasing Katsuki from the hug. "You're the girl who's been training with him, right? The one who beat him at the Sports Festival?"

  "We drew," Boa corrected.

  "Close enough!" Mitsuki grinned. "Anyone who can keep up with this brat is impressive in my book."

  "MOM!"

  While the Bakugos continued their loud family reunion, Boa looked around for her own... what? She had no parents waiting for her. No family to express relief at her survival.

  The familiar ache of isolation started to creep in.

  Then Aizawa appeared at her elbow. "Hancock. A word."

  He led her away from the crowds to a quieter area.

  "You engaged Dabi directly against orders," he said flatly.

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "Because Bakugo engaged him, and I wasn't going to let him fight alone. We're partners."

  Aizawa studied her for a long moment. "That petrification technique you used—the Slave Arrow. You fired it multiple times during the fight. That's significant improvement from the Sports Festival."

  "I've been training."

  "Clearly." His expression softened slightly. "You showed bravery and tactical thinking. You also showed the same reckless heroism that gets students killed. There's a balance you need to learn."

  "I understand, sensei."

  "Do you?" He sighed, the exhaustion evident. "The League is escalating. This attack on the camp, the attempt to abduct students—it's unprecedented. And their interest in certain students, including Bakugo, is concerning."

  "What do you think they want with him?"

  "I don't know. But whatever it is, we need to keep him safe." Aizawa looked at her directly. "You and Bakugo have a strong partnership. That's good. But don't let that partnership lead you both into danger you're not ready for. Understood?"

  "Understood."

  "Good. Now go home, rest, and prepare for classes to resume. We'll increase security at UA, but normal education continues. We won't let the League disrupt that."

  As Boa turned to leave, Aizawa added, "And Hancock? No one was waiting for you. Where will you go?"

  The question hit harder than it should have. "I have an apartment. I'll be fine."

  "Hmm." Aizawa pulled out a card. "This is the school counselor's number. If you need anything—anything at all—call. UA takes care of its students, even outside school hours."

  Boa took the card, something tight in her chest. "Thank you, sensei."

  She found Katsuki still with his parents near the buses.

  "—and you better call every day!" Mitsuki was saying. "No more of this 'I'm fine' crap when villains are attacking!"

  "I'll call when I want to call!"

  "Oi." Boa interrupted their argument. "I'm heading out."

  Katsuki's expression shifted to concern. "Where's your family?"

  "I don't have family. I'll be going to my apartment."

  "By yourself? After everything that just happened?"

  "I'm used to being alone, Katsuki."

  "Well, you're not alone anymore." He turned to his mother. "She's coming home with us."

  "WHAT?!" Both Boa and Mitsuki said simultaneously.

  "You heard me. She doesn't have anywhere to go, the League just attacked, and I'm not leaving her alone in some apartment." Katsuki crossed his arms. "She's staying with us until school resumes. End of discussion."

  Mitsuki looked between them, then grinned. "Oh, I like her already. Of course she can stay! Any friend of Katsuki's—or whatever you two are—is welcome!"

  "We're not—I mean—" Boa started, flustered.

  "We're together," Katsuki said bluntly. "Dating. Partners. Whatever you want to call it. So yeah, she's staying with us."

  Mitsuki's grin widened impossibly. "FINALLY! I was starting to think you'd never find someone who could stand you!"

  "MOM!"

  "It's wonderful to meet you properly, Hancock," Masaru said with his gentle smile. "Please, come with us. You're more than welcome."

  Boa looked at Katsuki, who was staring at her with an expression that dared her to argue.

  She thought about going back to her empty apartment alone. Then she thought about being with people who cared, being safe, being less alone.

  "Thank you," she said quietly. "I'd appreciate that."

  As they headed toward the Bakugo family car, Mitsuki immediately began grilling Boa about how she and Katsuki met, their training, the Sports Festival.

  Katsuki groaned. "This was a mistake."

  But his hand found Boa's, squeezing gently.

  And despite everything—the attack, the danger, the uncertainty—Boa felt something warm settle in her chest.

  For the first time in nine years, she was going home with a family.