At 9 a.m. the next morning, everyone was seated in their designated spots in the gaming room. Five rows of computers lined one side of the long table, mirrored by an identical setup on the other. Everything was uniform except for the mouse and keyboard—each player had brought their own. These were a gamer's weapons, their instruments. Playing with unfamiliar equipment would be a disadvantage.

Jack sat with painstaking concentration, his eyes locked on the screen. To his right, Riley chatted away cheerfully through her headset. To his left, Tommy sat in silent meditation, only nodding or grunting in response to Riley’s words. Despite Riley’s liveliness, most of Jack’s attention was on Tommy.

“Ready?” Lexi’s voice cut through the room. Perched on another table, she grinned at them all.

Jack jolted slightly in his seat but quickly composed himself, hoping no one had noticed.

A murmur of confirmation spread through the room. Satisfied, Lexi headed to the adjacent space where she and Sebastian had set up screens to monitor the games and take notes. One camera followed her, while another remained in the gaming room to capture everything that unfolded.

"We should choose a team leader," Tommy said.

Jack scoffed. "And I bet you think it should be you," he said into his headset, shooting Tommy a cold glare. He kept his voice even—he had promised Riley he wouldn’t lose his temper today, and he was determined to keep that promise.

"I’ve got the most experience, and my team did just win the championship," Tommy responded calmly, though there was an unmistakable challenge in his tone.

"He has a point, Jack," Riley said, resting a reassuring hand on Jack’s arm. She was on his side, but this was about what was best for the team.

“If he’s bad at it, we can always change leaders later,” Ben remarked from the other end of the table, where the top-lane player sat.

Tommy chuckled, but there was no protest to Ben’s logic.

"Just stay out of my way," Jack muttered, refusing to look at his bottom-lane partner, but knowing he was outnumbered.

"Play whatever you're most comfortable with for this first game," Tommy instructed, his voice steady. He ignored Jack's attitude, though it irked him. He had never met anyone more aggravating in his life.

The first game went well. Individually, Tommy’s team had the superior skill. Even with Tommy and Jack playing unfamiliar roles, their deep understanding of the game compensated. The trouble started in game three. The opposing team was adapting quickly, learning to play as a unit, and the friction between Jack and Tommy was becoming a liability.

"Move it, don’t just stand there!" Jack barked at Tommy.

"We need to stop and plan before we jump in!" Tommy growled back.

Instead of waiting, Jack flung himself into fights without backup. Thanks to his extraordinary skills, he sometimes managed to come out ahead, but even then, the team barely scraped by with a win in game three.

"Can you just stop yapping and listen for a second?" Tommy snapped, his voice rising—a rare occurrence. For most people, being scolded by one of the most legendary players in the league would be humbling. Not for Jack. He glared, his expression darkening.

"Can you stop thinking and start playing?" Jack shot back, his tone sharp and aggressive. He was far past his boiling point, and it was painfully obvious. The rising tension made the rest of the team uneasy and unfocused.

Riley hesitated. Speaking up meant taking a side, and either choice would piss someone off. She exchanged glances with the others, and they silently agreed—better to stay out of it and play as best they could under the circumstances.

To no one’s surprise, they lost the next two games.

Lexi reentered the room just as the word DEFEAT flashed across the screens. She ignored the thick tension and got straight to business. “Sebastian and I will analyze the games and set up a schedule for you. In the meantime, take a break. Some of you look like you need a cold shower.” Her pointed glance at Tommy and Jack didn’t go unnoticed.

As soon as she left, Jamie wasted no time approaching, flanked by two of her new teammates. The girl worked fast.

“Well, well, how much of an epic failure can you be?” Jamie taunted Jack.

Ben, Riley, and Alex immediately closed ranks around Jack. Tommy stayed in the background, arms crossed, watching.

The air was thick with tension. Jack’s earlier fight with Tommy was already forgotten, replaced by the fresh sting of Jamie’s provocation. His fists clenched, his whole body wound tight, ready to snap.

Ben stepped in front of Jack before he could react. “Good game, Jamie,” he said smoothly, addressing Jamie with calculated politeness. His posture was straight, his expression tight with restrained control.

Jamie hesitated, sizing up the situation. Ben was big enough to block Jack from view. With a passive glance toward Tommy, Jamie gave Ben a curt nod and walked off.

Tommy frowned. That look Jamie had given him—it wasn’t aggressive like the one she gave Jack, but it wasn’t friendly either. What was she playing at?

“Jack said there’s a gym in the house,” Alex said, turning to Tommy while Riley and Ben worked on calming Jack down. “You want to work off some steam?”

Tommy exhaled a small chuckle. “You know me too well,” he said, clapping Alex on the shoulder.

The two of them found the gym easily. Alex scanned the space, noting the cameras in the corners. They had signed contracts allowing filming, but it was good to be aware.

They worked out in silence, sweat dripping from their bodies as they pushed through their routines. Eventually, Alex sat down, toweling off before focusing on his friend.

“Why are you letting that kid get under your skin?”

Tommy paused mid-push-up, considering the question. The workout had helped clear his mind, allowing him to think more rationally. He hadn’t really questioned it before—he had just assumed Jack’s arrogance irritated him. But there were plenty of arrogant players in the pro gaming scene, and they didn’t get to him like this.

“I’m not sure,” Tommy admitted, sitting up. “Maybe I’m jealous of his recklessness.” He chuckled at the thought, fanning his t-shirt to cool down. The small room was heating up fast, and discomfort prickled his skin. After a brief acknowledgment of the cameras, he peeled off his shirt and stood.

“Wooow,” Alex groaned dramatically. “Warn people before you flash them.”

Tommy rolled his eyes at Alex’s overacting for the cameras. He was used to Tommy working out shirtless back at their clan house, so the reaction was purely for show.

“You’re such a show-off,” Alex muttered as Tommy started a set of pull-ups. “Fine, I won’t interfere with whatever’s going on between you and Jack. But you two better figure it out—unless you want this disaster recorded on the internet forever.”

_______________

While Tommy and Alex disappeared to work out, Jack stood quietly as his friends attempted to smooth over the situation. What they didn’t realize was that Jack had already forgotten about Jamie. His focus had shifted entirely to Tommy.

He had never seen Tommy that wound up before—or at least, he had never noticed it.

“Jack?” Ben’s voice pulled him back to reality.

“I’m going to find Lexi and talk her into letting us switch roles. You don’t mind playing AD carry, right, Riley?”

Riley shrugged. “Fine by me.”

Ben sighed. “I don’t think she’ll budge, Jack.”

“You won’t know unless you try,” Jack countered.

“I admire your tenacity, but I agree with Ben—you don’t stand a chance,” Riley said, smirking.

“We’ll see…” Jack huffed. Deep down, he knew they were probably right, but even if he couldn’t change Lexi’s mind, he’d at least get the satisfaction of talking to her. That alone made it worth the effort.

It didn’t take him long to find her in the makeshift command center for the production team. Multiple monitors displayed live feeds from the cameras scattered throughout the house.

Jack lingered by the screens, fascinated. He could see Riley and Ben in the kitchen, grabbing snacks. Two of Jamie’s teammates were playing ping-pong in the gaming room. Jamie herself was nowhere to be seen—probably in her room. On another screen, Tommy and Alex were in the gym, mid-workout.

Jack’s gaze lingered on that feed. Tommy and Alex were doing push-ups, sweat glistening on their skin.

“What’s up, Jack?” Lexi’s voice cut in, her usual cheerful tone snapping him out of his thoughts.

“We gave it a shot,” Jack said, nodding toward the screen displaying Tommy. “It’s not going to work. We just don’t fit together.” He turned to face her, exaggerating his pout, his brows drawn together in mock distress.

Lexi laughed. “You know,” she said, her tone teasing, “you two are more alike than you think. If you actually got to know each other, you might be surprised.”

Jack’s frown deepened. He couldn’t imagine a world where he and Tommy had anything in common. Maybe this whole boot camp had been a mistake. It wasn’t turning out to be the fun, competitive experience he’d envisioned. And with Tommy refusing to back out, it was becoming clear that quitting was his only escape.

But if he quit, that meant admitting defeat. That meant Tommy won.

No way.

His gaze returned to the monitor—just in time to see Tommy pull off his shirt.

“Fuck,” Jack muttered, startled. He hadn’t realized he’d said it out loud.

Tommy always wore loose shirts and hoodies. Jack had never seen him without one before. He definitely hadn’t expected… that.

Muscles. A lot of them.

Lexi chuckled beside him. “Tommy always says it’s his job to keep his body functioning at peak performance.”

Jack scowled. So I’ve lost again.

How was he supposed to compete with that? He hated working out. It was tedious and exhausting, and he had never understood why people willingly put themselves through it. Yet, for the first time in his life, he felt the unfamiliar urge to hit the gym—just to beat Tommy at that, too.

“Who does he think he is, stripping on camera like that…” Jack grumbled. “Such a show-off.”

Lexi rolled her eyes. “Jack, I’m not changing your role. You and Tommy are playing together for the rest of this camp. I suggest you start focusing on what you can gain from this instead of whining about it.”

Frustrated, Jack left the room. He barely made it a few steps before he ran into Jamie, who was leaning casually against the wall, smirking.

“It’s been fun, Jackie,” she mused, her voice dripping with amusement. “Too bad the end is near. I was really hoping to repay you for Worlds, but I suppose this will be payment enough.”

Jack frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

But Jamie had already turned on her heel, leaving him with only a lingering chuckle in her wake.

Unease settled in his stomach. Whatever had Jamie grinning like that, it couldn’t be good.

With a sigh, Jack made his way to his room, hoping sleep would come easily. He had a feeling he was going to need it.