BFDI AND II ONESHOT BOOK!

Nickloon: Secret Alliance

It's only Season 1, and the contestants are still strangers to one another. With Baseball just voted out, Nickel is left feeling isolated and anxious. But his attention keeps drifting toward Balloon, confident, commanding, someone everyone else seems to listen to. There's something magnetic about him, and Nickel can't help but find himself drawn in, fascinated by Balloon's strength and natural leadership.

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 The stacking golf balls challenge had just wrapped up, and Nickel was still buzzing from what he'd witnessed. Balloon had commanded his alliance like it was nothing, snapping out orders, pushing them into place, and before Nickel even realized it, Balloon had won. Just like that. OJ and Bomb hadn't even questioned him; they just followed without hesitation, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Nickel couldn't stop thinking about it. How did Balloon do that? He was blunt, bossy, even rude sometimes... yet people listened. They didn't just listen; they obeyed. Was that the secret to power? Was that what Nickel needed to be like?

Now here he was, squatting uncomfortably inside a prickly bush, peeking out as Balloon chatted casually with OJ and Bomb a few feet away. Nickel's eyes sparkled with admiration. The way they stood there, hanging onto Balloon's every word, it was like he had them wrapped around his finger. So cool...

But then OJ and Bomb started walking off, right past Nickel's hiding spot. His heart skipped. "Oh no no no, don't look, don't look—" Nickel panicked, ducking his head deep into the branches. If they spotted him now, he'd never live it down.

"What are you doing?"

Nickel froze. Balloon's sharp voice cut right through the leaves, and when Nickel peeked up, Balloon was standing over the bush, arms crossed and glaring down like he'd caught him red-handed.

"HUH—WHA!" Nickel shrieked, tumbling forward out of the bush in a graceless heap. His face hit the dirt before he scrambled back onto his feet and laughing way too nervously. "B-Balloon!! H-hey, wow, fancy seeing you here! Hahaha... uh, how's it going?" He tried to sound smooth, casual—but his voice cracked halfway through.

Balloon narrowed his eyes, suspicion dripping from every word. "Are you snooping on my team? Planning to run back to your little dysfunctional alliance and squeal about our strategies?"

"What?! No!! I wasn't.. uhh—" Nickel darted his eyes everywhere but Balloon's face. "Well, y'know, this bush is... uh... really comfy and... and green and—"

The look Balloon shot him made his stomach sink. Nickel groaned. "AAUGH! Okay, okay!! You caught me!" He gulped, then blurted out before he could lose his nerve. "I was just... admiring your leadership skills, alright?! The way you get Bomb and OJ to do whatever you say without a fight—it's amazing! How do you make them listen to you like that?!"

For the first time, Balloon didn't look angry. His glare softened just a fraction, his brow arching with faint curiosity. Nickel wasn't mocking him, he was genuinely impressed.

"...Hmph." Balloon tilted his head, studying him with a new kind of interest. "So that's it, huh? Not spying. You're impressed." A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Fine. But not here. We can't have our teammates catching sight of us chatting it up, can we?" He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Meet me by the forest. Just us. Understand?"

And before Nickel could stammer out a reply, Balloon turned on his heel and strolled away, smirking as if he already knew Nickel would follow.

Nickel's face burned hot. His brain was a jumbled mess of ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. This was huge. Balloon actually wanted to talk to him. Maybe... maybe even form some kind of secret alliance! He almost squealed at the thought.