Derek didn't show up until two days after they cleared their side of 20.

I still don't think Patrick believes <Clairvoyance> didn't work in the boss square. Penelope glanced at the older man who was throwing a glare at her as she sat down in the dining area.

"Everyone is on edge. Don't take it personally." Jeru pointed at the door as Derek walked through the eastern opening. Elven people, including Ren and Dawson, entered behind him, though most of the "muscle" that had been there with him last time was missing.

On the western side of the room, all four teams of their level twenty people had assembled. While the backups didn't have as good of gear as the main group, they were still a force and would be a great help if things broke down.

"You took your time." Patrick turned his scowl to the approaching group.

"We still have over three days left on the timer." The blond man waved his hand dismissively. "Plenty of time to get this done." He raised an eyebrow as he scanned the group. "Marlow isn't joining us?"

"You know exactly what happened, so don't rub it in." Frederica growled from her seat at the table in the middle of the room.

Oakley, Frederica, Patrick, and Penelope were all sitting at the center table facing the wall Derek had entered from. The rest of their teams were fanned out behind them. Derek walked up to the table and sat down across from them. Ren and Dawson took a seat at the table behind him, each leaning against the table with their backs as they faced Penelope's group.

"We've lost some people too." Derek shook his head. "It's tragic to think of how many more people would have been alive if we'd been working together from the start."

"We're not the ones who killed other people." Patrick growled as he leaned forward.

"You might as well have been! Forcing us to do whatever you wanted. You—" Dawson clamped his mouth shut as Derek raised a hand.

"We're keeping this civil." Derek looked over his shoulder at the Poison Caster. "If you can't do that, then you can go sit back with the others."

"Whatever." Dawson folded his arms in front of him.

Derek opened his mouth, then shrugged and closed it, turning back to the others. "Sorry about that; he's passionate." The blond man smiled. "But we're here to talk about the boss room." He turned to Penelope. "Red, beautiful as always. You've scanned the boss room with that handy spell of yours?"

Penelope recoiled at his flirt, which delayed her response.

"She can't see through the barrier." Patrick cut off Penelope's answer.

"So I've heard." Derek smirked, never taking his eyes off Penelope. "But I'd like to hear it from her."

"Clairvoyance doesn't let me see through the barrier." Penelope fought against the voice in her mind that was screaming for her to get away from the predatory gaze. I feel like a mouse in a cat's gaze.

"He's not coming across the table, so just bear with it." Jeru glared daggers at the man, even though only Penelope could see the blue Elf.

"So we don't know what we're going to be up against…" He nodded over his shoulder at the Poison Mage. "Dawson tells me that there were six mutations last time." He stroked his chin. "Things have doubled, so we're looking at twelve this time?"

"Six mutations, plus a level twenty variant of each monster in the square." Jeru corrected. "But there's no way for you to know that."

Thirty monsters? Penelope suppressed a shiver. Do I need to push for a break?

"With these tunnels, it would take days to track them all down, and that barrier won't come down until they're all killed."

So we have to beat them all in there. Penelope turned her attention back to the conversation.

"The corners are going to be the best places to attack from." Petrick pointed at the map he'd scratched into the table. "We come in from 20D.3 and 19E.2 while you come in on 19E.4 and 20F.1. That way we have our teams as close together as we can."

"Point one?" Derek raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Each square is divided into four quadrants or zones." Patrick pointed on the square from left to right, then top to bottom. "One, two, three, four. And each zone has an opening to the zone across from it."

"I like it!" Derek grinned. "You're way too smart to be on that side of the table." He motioned at the empty seat beside him. "I could use a good number two like you."

"I'm not looking for a demotion." Patrick growled. "And if you don't stop trying to poach our people, then you and I are going to have a problem."

"It's not poaching if they feel more valued somewhere else." Derek held up his hands. "We just want what's best for everyone, right?"

"This conversation has strayed." Oakley cleared his throat. "We're here to make sure everyone is geared up and ready to go." He gestured at the team behind him. "In the event something goes wrong, we have our backup team ready to go in…" He looked at the people behind Derek. "Do you have anyone else that's leveled?"

"We have a few, but they're not going to be very helpful." Derek lamented as he leaned forward. "Don't you have another round of backups?"

"We have a team at level ten, but they're untested in actual combat." Frederica glared at the other man. "But I'm sure you knew that already."

"So much hostility." Derek held up his hands as he leaned back. "You'd think I had a spy or... three?" He smirked. "In your midst."

"Why are you trying to stir up something?" Oakley sighed.

"Because you all are so easy!" Derek laughed. "Baldy over here is going to spend the rest of the day trying to root out my spies."

Dawson snickered.

Derek composed himself. "My point is, your group is so fractured and fragmented that it's inevitable that it's going to implode at some point. Better to come over where there's a strong leader than limp over once this thing blows up and you're full of shrapnel."

"You're making it very easy to nullify this alliance." Frederica slammed her fist down on the table."

"You won't do that." Derek put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat.

"Why not?" Frederica seethed.

"Because…" Derek nodded at the people behind them. "That's your backup plan. If you take all of them into the boss room, then what will be left out here to stop me from taking everything?" He shook his head as his words sank in. "No, you need me and my teams in there because you need us where you can see us."

Frederica blanched as she realized what he was saying.

"You're mad." Oakley shook his head. "You'd really be so petty to attack us while we were fighting the bosses?"

"I want what's mine." Derek shrugged. "And if you cut me out of this fight, then it won't be me that was petty. I'll just be the one retaliating to pettiness."

Silence covered the table as everyone processed his threat.

"We split the gear based on effort." Frederica muttered. "Your team cuts and runs like they did last time…" She glared at Dawson before turning her gaze back to Derek. "And you get nothing."

"Don't worry about my people." Derek chuckled. "They'll do their jobs."

"And after this?" Frederica scowled.

"I think we'll have the team to do a full half of the next floor." Derek smiled as he leaned forward. "We could be equals."

"Not if you're going to be spying on us." Patrick grumbled.

"Every healthy relationship is based on trust, but that doesn't mean we don't also need to verify." Derek shrugged. "It's just healthy checks and balances."

"I don't think that means what you think it means." Oakley held up his hand to stop what Frederica was about to say. "And we understand your threat."

"It wasn't a threat, just reality." Derek glanced at the group behind the four leaders. "And if you're wondering if your little band of merry men back there will be able to take us…" He shrugged. "Maybe, but will there be enough level twenties afterwards to clear the boss room?"

Dawson snorted as a grin grew across his face.

"You're walking a very dangerous line, boy." Patrick clenched his fist. "Threats are not a good way to make friends."

"We were never going to be friends." Derek laughed. "And we both know that if you could cut me out of this alliance, you would." He stood up. "Speaking of which, why don't we head in there now? Less time for you to figure out how to con us out of our share of the gear."

Frederica shot to her feet. "We'll honor our end of the deal, but after that, you stay on your side of the Dungeon."

"We'll see." Derek clicked his tongue. He looked at Penelope. "Seriously, Red. You need to come over to my side before you die. You're way too pretty to end up on a pyre."

"I'm not going anywhere." It took every ounce of control she had not to let the fear show on her face as she stood. "And we're not as fractured as you think we are."

"Maybe not?" Derek swirled his finger at the group in front of him. "But this group isn't still going to be together when it's time to fight the next boss. That I'm sure of."

He motioned for his group to head out, then glanced at his menu before turning back to the group. "I know your group likes to time things by the Dungeon, but let's do it by the clock. How about exactly three days and eighteen hours remaining?"

Penelope glanced at her menu. That gives us 21 minutes to make it from 16B to our places in 20D and 19E! That's over a mile away!

He took a few steps, then turned around. "Oh, and if you're thinking about letting us walk in there alone, don't bother. We've got someone who can use <Clairvoyance> too, so we'll know."

Frederica waited until the other group was gone, then turned to Penelope. "Your spell doesn't have that kind of range."

Penelope shook her head. "I can only go about 300 feet, but that doesn't mean they couldn't stay that close and wait for us to go in." She swallowed. "You think they'd leave us in there?"

"Derek isn't that stupid." Frederica grumbled. "There's no way Rae is going to trust them if they let us die, and while you could probably win even if we don't kill anything, that's going to take time to hunt them down, and time isn't something you have." She turned to the leader behind her. "Rae, you're in charge. If something happens…"

"I won't let them get away with it." The Healer promised.

"Alright!" Frederica took a nervous breath. "Let's get this over with!"

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