Several days passed, and Friday came quickly. Ciana, having finished her work, which ultimately proved to double for studying, sat alone in a small classroom with Midnight watching over her during this time. Ciana looked down at her exam, it would be three hours of torture, but she felt more than confident in her abilities given all the work she crammed in thanks to everyone's support in little ways over the week.
Her hand ran over the necklace Izuku had given her, as sign of good luck, and once Midnight spoke, Ciana stuck her nose into her test. Three hours would go by in an instant, and she couldn't afford to waste a second.
True to her word, however, she sat back as Midnight spoke. "Your time's up, Finley, how do you well do you feel you've done?" Midnight inquired as she walked up after a stretch from her chair, taking the pages from Ciana now slumped in her seat from sheer stress and exhaustion.
"As well as I hope from how much I put my heart into this work…" she replied with a tired sigh, her fingers still feel cramped from all the writing she's been doing. "Why couldn't it have stayed a week…" Ciana thought to herself before straightening up.
"Heroes often can't predict what will happen, even if it's unfair," Midnight agreed, patting her head. "Chin up, you've done really well to apply yourself despite your month away, but you've got one more test ahead of you, and your partner should be here any minute now,"
Ciana perked up from the pro therapist praise, glad to have still prove her worth so far. "I-I'll do my very best! But… everyone already did their exam, didn't they? Who would I be working with?" Ciana was a bit surprised she is still working with someone unless it's an extra credit thing pairing with her.
In saying this, there was a knock before the door slid open, "Ah, a-am I too early, Miss Midnight?" Standing with a nervous smile was the redhead with sharp teeth, Kirishima.
"Nope, right on time, Kirishima," Midnight smiled brightly with a wink to Ciana. "The Principle chose Kirishima out of those that failed their practical exams, although if you succeed, Kirishima's grade won't change, but it will be an excellent learning experience for him too,"
"Yeah, besides, those of us that botched our practical all agreed for me to do it, hope you don't mind!" He closed his eyes with a wide grin.
Seeing that it's Kirishima she is teaming up with, this stunned her but happy it's one of her closest friends she's working with. "You kidding? With you as my partner this test should be so much more exciting! Honored to work with you again." Ciana expressed cheerfully toward her spiky friend, they made a good team during the league of villains so she had a lot of faith in him.
"You bet, we'll crush this exam, and you'll pass with flying colours!" Kirishima pumped his fist, thrilled by the prospect to fight with her again.
"I wouldn't get too excited, though your vigour is so thrilling!" Midnight cooed, coughing quickly into her hand with a serious look. "I'll offer you both this much, you're going to be up against Hound Dog. If you want my advice... do not stay still for too long, those animalistic tendencies of his make him the best tracker at UA,"
"Hound dog? The werewolf pro hero?" Ciana blinked at this information, remembering what Izuku told her that he had a temper similar to Bakugo. Ciana didn't think she ever got to properly meet him but by the way Midnight made it sound, this guy sounded viscous…
"So… h-he's like a predator? I-is he exactly like those werewolf's in the horror movies…?" The girl questioned, shaking up a little imagining what this guy is like.
"When he gets riled up? Certainly - and while some would find that sort of man desirable, he is far too loud, often his speech is reduced to growls and howls of anger, dunno how Vlad understands him," Midnight dismissed with a shake of her head, then clapped her hands with a confident smirk. "Well, you'll do fine! But he will put up a good fight if he finds you, so best keep on your toes as I said!"
"W-we're in for a hunt then?" Kirishima chuckled a bit, scratching the back of his head.
"Wonder if he be scared if we brought any silver along with us…?" Ciana jokes with a sheepish smile and a sweat-dropped. "Never thought we end up as prey, sounds like it won't be easy but as long as we stick together and think our strategies through against the wild dog then we should be able to put him on a leash!" Ciana beamed with her fist raised in confidence, though still nervous but having a friend by her side makes her feel more at ease.
"I getcha, let's show 'em what we're made of!" Kirishima punched his open palm.
"You've got half an hour to rest and put on your costumes, once done, head for Training Ground Omega for your exam, and don't be late now," Midnight waved, leaving with Ciana's exam to have it graded, leaving her and Kirishima to head off in a different direction, the redhead pulling something out from the bag he had slumped over one shoulder.
"Here, the girls wanted me to bring this to you-" He held out a boxed lunch for her. "-can't fight with an appetite, so dig in!"
Surprised by the sweet gesture, Ciana smiled thankfully at this as she accept it. Knowing she's going to need all the energy she needs. Ciana felt she's been a little pampered lately since she's got back, happy everyone's still got her back. "Thank Eijiro, I could use the extra boost of stamina." She giggled, Ciana recalled Izuku mention her costume was repaired which she is grateful for. Looking forward to wearing it again.
While they sat outside for her to eat, Kirishima looked ahead at their surroundings with a tense expression. "Say, sorry in advance if... I kinda mess up in your exam; me and Sato lost ours 'cause we fought without much of a plan, can't say I won't try to brute force a fight if it comes down to it, strategy isn't really what I'm good at, so really, count on me as your shield, I'll getcha to that finish line, that I promise," He assured her with a thumbs up.
Ciana was actually surprised he failed his exam, Kirishima is a bit headstrong but is a hardcore fighter and determined to aid the people he cares about. Ciana shook her head at this. "I'm not worried, we all make mistakes but that doesn't mean you'll screw anything up if you learned from your last experience. I have a lot of faith in both your brains and confidence to get through this, no matter what I'm proud to work with you."
Ciana gave him her cheery honest smile, dragon Kirishima really helped her look at herself in a new perspective. There's no reason for her to doubt he wouldn't make a great partner.
"Heh, well, I'll be sure to try, thanks," When Aizawa said he would be Ciana's partner, he felt an awful amount of pressure. He failed his test with Sato, but now, even if he failed, it wouldn't count, but for Ciana, it would mean all the hard work she's put in as of late would surmount to nothing. That reason alone kept him determined to see her through that gate. "I'll be an unstoppable shield, she won't lose, not when she was so close now!" He swore for his best friend.
Once Ciana finished her meal, the two packed up and quickly returned to the school to grab their costumes to change and head for Ground Omega, where it would be Hound versus Dragon and Brawler.
Ciana was back in her hero costume soon enough, making sure her ponytail is tied in place and her mask properly adjusted. She was nervous but determined to give it everything's she's got, but also kinda looking forward to officially meeting Hound dog, she sometimes loses track of the teachers in UA. Ciana guessed he was hard to tame but if he's a hero then there's no reason to be afraid besides how he's gonna be on the hunt for both of them…
With a quick flick of the wrist, Ciana opened her war fans given to her back Edgeshot, seeing them glint in the summer light as she and Kirishima walked toward the entrance to Ground Omega. Another snap and they shut, slotting them onto her belt once more. Kirishima adjusted the brace around his head, cracking his knuckles at the sight of the large gate with a white wall sectioning off the dense woodland area. Nearby, a tall tower overlooked the forest.
"Heard Jiro and Koda fought here with Present Mic, had a close call but they passed, place his like a roofed forest," Kirishima commented as they waited by the closed gate.
Ciana mentally thanked Yuuki for helping her learn how to use the fans, she wasn't a master yet but should have the idea how to use them without being too reckless. "Seriously? Sheesh that must of been hard from how loud the guys scream is…" Ciana shivered just imagining the high pitch voice the crazy hair guy had, especially from how sensitive poor Jiros long earlobes are.
"It would also make sense we fight here since our opponent is a wild dog." Ciana glanced around her surroundings. "So, what are we supposed to do in these kind of test anyways? We fight the pros or we have to reach any landmarks?" Ciana wasn't sure if it was like capture the flag but best to have the heads up with these kinds of tests she's unfamiliar with.
"Ah, right, I was supposed to tell you that!" He hit the side of his head at the blunder. "So, we have these-" He held up a pair of large cuffs from his own waist belt. "-we either have to capture the hero playing villain, a K.O also works, or make it to the opposite end of where this gate is to another, open gate, passing through there will mean you also pass, something like learning to retreat and fight another day sorta gist,"
Ciana had her hand placed on her chin to process Kirishimas instructions, nodding at the info she's been given. "I see… definitely sounds like quite a challenge since they are pros." Ciana remembered Izuku said they made it to the finish line, which was smart since their opponent was too tough knowing All Might. "So we ether have to cuff him, knock him out or escape. Okay, I think I get the gif of it."
Now looking straight ahead of her in thought with a serious thoughtful expression. "If Hound dog is exactly how his name goes, definitely won't be easy to put a leash on him…" Hand back on her chin in thought again. "I'm not sure what he's like in person, but usually cases with big dogs we have to ether corner him or maybe jump on his back…" The girl shrugged, thinking she get a better idea once they face him. "If he's too strong then we will have no choice to retreat but we'll see how this test goes."
"That's not much to work with, but hey, it's worth a shot at least if we are cornered, plenty of places to hide too or lose his sight," Kirishima nodded in agreement, his hands twitchy, he was tense too, unlike with Cementoss, Hound Dog was a fighter too by personality alone.
That's when a loud horn blared, and the gates forward slowly opened wide. ~Team Finley and Kirishima. Practical Exam. Ready? Go!~
"This is it, let's make a break for the gateway!" Kirishima yelled, charging headfirst with Ciana already glowing, hearing her breath pull in sharply as she instantly ran alongside him.
This almost looked like a race so far, though Ciana remembered hearing Hound Dog has incredible hearing so it's likely he will hear where they are running. luckily she has good hearing too now so maybe she can hear where he's coming from. Ciana looked around as they moved, nervous where the pro could pop up from. "Any ideas you think this guy will turn up?"
She asked her partner as she ran, keeping her eyes and ears open.
"Hard to say, some of the teachers held back at the exit to stop us," Kirishima replied, keeping up with Ciana as he leapt over a fallen tree. "Let's hope he'll be waiting at the gate, gives us a bigger window,"
Up within the observation tower, monitors followed key points of the training grounds, one on Hound Dog who already moved through the woods like a prowler while Ciana and Kirishima ran with acute awareness of their surroundings. Aizawa and All Might were present for this exam with Recovery Girl on standby. Most of Ciana's class were present to see her match as a tension suffocated the air a little.
"So, whadda think will happen, Midoriya?" Uraraka asked curiously, keeping her eyes on the screens.
"I'm not sure really," It wasn't needlessly complex, just that one action could split the outcome in any direction, meaning it all came down to probability in his eyes. "It all depends on who makes the first move,"
"'First move'?" Ashido blinked as the studious greenette nodded in deep thought.
"As it stands, Kirishima and Ciana our at a heavy disadvantage, comparing just Ciana's Aura to Hound Dog's own animal quirk, the latter has much greater experience with it," He eyed the pro as they swept through the forest on all fours, stopping occasionally to sniff the air and alter his course slightly. "Ultimately, whoever corners who will decide who wins, as tough as it sounds, Hound Dog won't let them through the gate, that's not a possibility,"
"So they have to fight or lose? Pretty strict situation," Kyoka grimaced, having dealt with a similar case against Present Mic blocking the exit.
"In the end, our teachers, despite the weights did not hold back on us, and I doubt this will change now," Iida concurred.
Back on the ground, Ciana kept all her senses on high alert, every disturbance not by typical animal life or themselves was taken into consideration, slightly changing their movements through the terrain. They had a good idea to arc their path to the exit, going straight would result in immediate conflict, but if they came in from an angle and changed their pathing slightly, it could buy them more time.
"I'm picking up some snarling and some running…" Ciana already heard the sounds a wild beast would make, sounding pretty scary already. "He's trying to pick up our path, I hope our smells aren't too easy to pick up…" likely it is for them, but maybe she can find a way to hide their scent…
That's when Kirishima paused, his body jolting with an idea. "Hey, why not use the mud? Works in movies, right, work here too?"
"Right! It's worth a shot, but still ew…" Ciana beamed at the idea, great… she's going to need a long shower after this, she's probably was gonna get messy anyways. "Let's just hope this works…" Already the girl bends down to a dirt patch, as long as they smell mucky it will be harder for the dog to detect them.
Kirishima opened his mouth to speak, then suddenly his whole face shot with panic as his body moved of its own accord. "Look out!" He grabbed and threw Ciana behind him, hardening his forearms in time to take a lunging slash from above, several branches clattering to the ground as Kirishima skidded back on his heels, holding firm with a nervous sweat.
"Tch... using mud to mask your scent? Not a bad idea..." The large figure rose to his full height, bearing his teeth a bit behind his muzzle with a snarl. "But if you think that's all it would take to make you invisible to me, then you have a lot to learn!" He roared the last word, pouncing at Kirishima with a right cross to the boy's side as it hardened, throwing the redhead toward the clearing again.
"Kirashima!" The girl shouted in worry, at this moment this is when she powered herself up. Claws, scales horns and her own beastly eyes came back, once Ciana unleashed her own beast within she tried to strike the big dog behind as she gritted her sharp fang teeth. Hound dog is a lot like she imagined but never expected a mussel on his face, but that's something she can think over later as she needs to aid her friend.
"Too slow!" Hound avoided her own claw swipe, grabbing her wrist to wrench Ciana off her feet as she yelled before throwing her straight into Kirishima's arms. The two stumbled before Kirishima was forced to dive, avoiding Hound's stomp as the beast struck with another punch, one that Kirishima threw his own to counter. Ciana stood back, then tried to join Kirishima in overpowering Hound, but the man was fast, jumping away to the side to slam his foot into Kirishima's arm.
Ciana held up her arms, tanking several strikes but see saw it, her scales weren't properly formed as their fragile state shattered, and her defence fell fast enough for her body to tumble backward, slamming into a tree, causing her aura to fizzle away. Was she hesitating now? Why? She held up her hands, seeing them shake a bit while Kirishima's form was thrown left and right, blocking Hound's relentless assault of slashes to his forearms.
Without much else to think about, Ciana rushed to pair, and right before Hound turned to attack, his eyes were suddenly assaulted by a small ball of light between her fingers. Yelping, the pro stumbled and rubbed his eyes, in that same frame, Ciana grabbed Kirishima's wrist and made a break for the forest again, running as quickly as possible away from the snarling frustrations coming from Hound.
"T-that was close! He saw through our mud plan!" Kirishima winced.
"That was probably my fault!" She answered as they ran again, figuring out what it might of been. "He has good hearing too so when we spoke he probably was able to detect our voices even in a whisper." Ciana knew dogs had good ears too besides noses. "This guy clearly is going to be a challange for us, we can't let our guard down no matter what!"
"No kidding!" Kirishima paled a bit, looking over his shoulder to see Hound in hot pursuit.
The two kept running in step with one another, weaving between trees and hopping over any rocks or fallen logs in their way. The ground suddenly dropped, causing them to slide down in time to avoid the claws that swept over their heads. Rolling into a river, the two sloshed through the ankle-deep water toward the flat bank several meters across. That's when a body slammed into the bank ahead, and two hands reached for them, forcing the pair apart to roll through the water and onto the shore quickly.
Ciana yelped, feeling a heavy fist lift her of her feet, taking the wind from her lungs as she collapsed to the ground in a heap, nearly puking up her lunch. Hound snarled, reaching down for her only for a hardened pair of arms to wrap around his head, pulling him backward as the Pro thrashed angrily, bucking wildly to throw Kirishima off as he held firm.
With a grunt, Hound threw his back into the hillside, hearing Kirishima gasp in shock but he grit his teeth and held on for dear life. "Ciana, get going for the exit, I've got him for a bit!" Her head shot up in surprise, seeing the utter look of defiance on his face as Hound clawed at his arms, growing increasingly more frustrated. "You only need to pass, not me!"
Getting back up, Ciana eyed her friend who was holding the beast off, surprised by his demand that she should leave him behind. Despite needing to pass, she didn't want to do that without her friend and that she never leave someone behind even to save herself. "No! I'm not gonna retreat!" Ciana stubbornly responded, taking the cuffs out from her hips.
"If I'm gonna pass, I wanna do that together! No way I leave you to face a beast as ferocious as this guy!" Ciana wasn't sure if she is able to cuff him especially from all the thrashing around he's doing… but she did not want to leave Kirishima behind to face this guy alone.
"Grr, I can't hold him forever, just go already!" Kirishima yelled for her to run, sure, not exactly the manliest way to win, but it didn't matter to him if he passed, not like it counted, so it wouldn't risk having her fail now. "I've got this!"
"Neither of you are leaving!" Hound finally got a good grip of Kirishima, swinging him over his shoulders and down into the ground with a solid slam. Now freed, he glowered at Ciana standing still with the cuffs in her right hand. Without a word, he charged her only for two arms to extend and grab his wrists. Kirishima dug his heels into the ground behind him, holding the beastly hero from getting a step closer as he kept one eye closed, wincing from the force applied.
"Told ya, I'm your shield, go on!" He smirked back to Ciana briefly, then turned to glare back at Hound who was pulled his arms to free himself but with the addition of the weight braces it made it harder to swing his arms.
Ciana wasn't sure if this was a good for her to do, even if Kirishima grade doesn't matter… she never liked the idea of leaving someone behind, but it might be the only shot of her passing… clutching her fist, without another word, Ciana ended up taking off running like he insisted…
Within the observation tower, those that watched had anxious faces, seeing Kirishima behind thrown around by Hound who tried to go after Ciana only for the brazen redhead to latch onto the Pro like a tether, refusing to let him pass.
"Eijiro..." Ashido winced whenever Kirishima took a heavy hit but kept yelling and fighting, not that they could hear what was yelled between them.
"It might not seem the best way, but if Finley gets through the gate, she'll pass regardless," Iida commended, but did feel for her tense look of frustration as she ran through the forest, her head low and her teeth knit together. "It mustn't be easy for her to bear,"
"It's a wise move, Kirishima likely wanted her to do so, judging by how they reacted moments ago," Tokoyami noted.
"I feel bad for Kirishima though..." Uraraka murmured a bit, watching Ciana run far from the fight. "What do you think, Midoriya?"
But the greenette remained silent with a firm look at the monitors. His arms were crossed with a frown, not commenting since the match properly began. The same could be said for Aizawa and All Might, the two heroes kept their faces neutral throughout, neither made a passing comment, they simply watched to see what unfolded.
Ciana kept running for a while, coming to a slow jog as she panted, forgetting to use Total Concentration the whole time. The further she ran, the more an acrid feeling burned in her chest. Her power was wavering, despite working flawlessly in training. And now, Kirishima was left to be her shield, taking all those hits while she ran with her tail between her legs.
How many times was that now? She ran from her problems, from everyone, she kept running from this cursed power that changed her body and mind forever. Everyone else, of this realm and Crescent Shores didn't hesitate at all, giving it everything to work through their weaknesses, all she ever did was let hers spill over into theirs.
"I'm always causing problems for everyone..." She thought to herself, looking at her palms. Her eyes were furious now, closing her fists tightly that she almost broke skin. "...I'm sorry, Eijiro..." Her head lowered, biting her cheek.
Another fist connected to Kirishima's arms, breaking away more of his hardened skin, he was panting, feeling his body strain to maintain his quirk anywhere else. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he knew that soon, Ciana would pass through the gate, and she'd pass. That gave him a smirk, he could do this, just a little longer! "Come on!" He yelled, breathing heavily as now Hound was snarling, saliva dripping from his gums as his claws tensed.
"This time, I'll crush you, hero!" He howled, barrelling toward Kirishima to finally put an end to this resistance. If he could hurry, he'd catch Ciana before she made it to the finish line.
His fingers fanned out, intending to grab and slam Kirishima down into the earth.
The boy grinned sharply, holding his sharpened arms high to counter.
And a glaring mass of light burned across a thick tree trunk from above. Looking up, Hound grunted as the bark tore down his face, followed by a heavy pressure against the other side, tossing him into the river as he threw the log aside, his muzzle torn off as he bared his fangs at the person landing to now defend Kirishima. Everyone in Class 1A made some look or reaction of surprise or jubilation. All Might's smile rose to his face proudly. And Izuku smirked with confidence and a beating heart.
"Sorry... but I refuse..." Ciana growled herself, her body in full dragon mode again, her aura burning like a golden flame over her form as she drew her hands up. "...to burden anyone else again!"
"Hah... should've figured..." Kirishima coughed, raising his arms with her, side by side. "Sorry for that, guess I wanted to go down in a manly way,"
Ciana glanced at her friend with a warm confident smile. "What kind of hero would I be if I left my partner behind? Thanks for thinking about me but like I said, if I'm gonna pass this then I'm doing it together with you." Ciana made up her mind and stayed true to her heart, standing firm as she is now ready again to not only defend her friend but fight together.
"You both will FAIL!" Hound lunged, tearing the hill apart as both teens evaded, Kirishima moving in first, blocking the backswing of Hound's arm with a grunt. From above, Ciana slammed her heel into Hound's right shoulder, bringing the hero to a knee before grabbing said arm, pulling sharply with a cry, swinging Hound around into Kirishima's right cross to the jaw, spinning Hound who clawed at the ground, pouncing to headbutt Ciana in the gut.
She recoiled, bearing her fangs to grit the pain and clasp her hands together and spike the top of the Pro's head. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, flinging her into the side of the hill as the earth split at her back. The blonde stumbled forward with a yelp, Kirishima swinging a kick at the man's side, followed by a pivot, ducking under a swing to jab the man's stomach twice.
Ciana shook off the loose dirt, her fingers dug into the soil as she roared. "IMBUE!" The whole hillside's fissures widened with a blinding, golden light, Kirishima gaze was obscured by Hound, but the light caught his left eye, forcing the beast hero to stumble as spots danced in his gaze. Ripping apart the ground behind her, Ciana inched closer to Hound who spun around, backhanding Kirishima away only for his fist to be caught against Ciana's raised left forearm as her scales held up this time, and in her right hand was another ball of light.
She slammed it into the Pro's face, hearing him yell angrily, swinging his arms wildly at the counterattack. Turning, Ciana ran to the hillside, using it to vault high, twisting her body around with her right leg bent behind her, light gathering around her leg. Kirishima did the same, moving his upper body for a winding left hook.
"Hyraaaah!" His fist creased against Hound's cheek while Ciana brought her leg across the opposite side of the man's face. Their combined pummel driving the Pro down into the ground with a loud 'smack', hearing Hound whine as his body fell limp at their feet, the teens panting rapidly, both completely exhausted and beaten.
With that, Ciana pulled out the cuffs. Smiling proudly at their accomplishment. "What do you say we finally put this villain behind bars, wanna do the honors?" She offered her partner with a brighter smile and a pleasant giggle, knowing they make a great team together.
"Nah," He cuffed one hand, pulling it behind Hound's back, offering the other cuff to her. "Together, partner,"
Ciana smiled wider at this, nodding as she also goes to cuff the other hand. After that as she stood up straight and wiped the sweat off her forehead, sure was a rough but interesting battle. "We did it! Nice going Eijiro!" The bright shining girl cheered, raising her hand up to offer a high five.
"Happy to help!" He returned the gesture
Then a loud horn blared. ~Hound has been captured. Team Finley and Kirishima have passed!~
At this, Kirishima chuckled, waving a hand up and down toward the raven-brunette. "We look terrible, guess we probably stink if your nose is as sharp as his,"
"No kidding!" Just being reminded about that had her cover her nose but still kept her playful smile. "First thing I'm gonna do is wash off the stench and dirt off me… I feel so mucky after being tossed in the water before." Times like this she wished her nose wasn't so sensitive. Though glances at the wild dog who was down, walking in front of his face as she bend down to eye him in concern.
"The guy looks pretty beat up… guess we were too hard on him, think he will be okay?" It felt so strange fighting a hero, the way he acted definitely made him look like a villain. But guessed like Bakugo he just has a scary temper.
"Totally, he and I kept fighting, it was relentless!" Kirishima marvelled, still feeling the tremors in his arms. "I've fought with Bakugo, so fighting someone who was just as heated in a fight was awesome, plus, I held up my hardening a lot longer this time, so I'm glad it worked out," Then his eyes fell to her with a proud grin. "But then you came flying in, throwing a whole log in his face, that entrance was so freakin' manly for a hero!"
"Strange for a lady like me to do but I'm surprised myself I thought quick to do that." Ciana stood up and rubbed her neck while laughing sheepishly, still so strange for her to have that kind of super strength. "Thanks though! You were pretty awesome yourself the way you held him back as long as you could." Though she glances back to the pro beast. "So… do we drag him back to the finishing line now?" Ciana didn't think they leave him, but he sure looked heavy to carry…
"I think so... oh?" Kirishima perked up as a large stretcher carried by four bots travelled along the river bank behind Ciana. "Guess they're here to do it, but let's stick with 'em 'till we're through the gate,"
Walking slowly once they helped the bots place Hound onto the stretcher, the two exhausted teens made their march of victory out of Training Ground Omega, following the bots to where Recovery Girl would be waiting further back toward UA, this gave the pair time to chat and discuss their battle, going over new strategies and countermeasures to deal with the moments their cooperation fell through. Neither quite noticed the pain in their bodies by then.