Liam smiled when he saw Matt step forward, and there was something in that expression—a mixture of genuine fondness and anticipatory amusement—that immediately made the rest of the group wary on Matt's behalf.
"Alright," Liam said, his voice carrying across the frozen expanse with perfect clarity despite the wind. "I'll make you a deal, Matt. If you can last five minutes against me in direct combat, I'll give you anything you ask for."
Matt's eyes lit up immediately, the kind of instantaneous enthusiasm that suggested his brain had already skipped past the 'five minutes of getting destroyed' part and jumped straight to 'what impossible thing should I request.'
The response came without even a heartbeat of hesitation. "I want a space shuttle. For myself. Personal use."
The entire group turned to stare at him.
"Matt," Harper said, his voice flat with disbelief. "He literally just offered you anything, and you didn't even think about it for one second."
