The group looked scared.

  Penelope walked over to the pile of gear Patrick had laid out. They’d been piling up the gear they’d taken from the monsters. Ula had known they’d need to gear out the people on the surface, and Patrick had sorted everything out while the rest of the team fought.

  “There’s not much of the enchanted stuff…” The mid-forties man shook his head. “Dawson ran off with all of his gear, and we haven’t been able to find the drops from two of the bosses.” The sound of his teeth grinding sent a shiver down Penelope’s spine. "Sorry, none of it was something you could use.”

  “Marlow and Freddy got upgrades at least.” Penelope looked at the Healer walking up to her. Both men were in their mid-forties, but Marlow gave her a vibe of a gentle father figure while Patrick acted like a perennial bachelor who never left college.

  “Freddy told me to go ahead and take the team in with a load of goods.” The balding man looked over at Penelope. “We also need to make a team if you want to do that.”

  Jeru? Penelope pleaded for some help. Team sports had never been in her comfort zone, and being a team captain had never happened before.

  “Pull up your menu.” The Elf in her mind instructed. “Then you’ll be able to go over to the party tab.” He appeared in front of her and pointed at the button.

  Penelope focused on the tab, and it opened, showing only two people in her party. Herself as the leader and Marlow.

  “Now move your menu over their nametags, and it’ll add them to the party.”

  Won’t they have to accept or something? Penelope swept her gaze over the group in front of her.

  “A lot of it comes down to intent. Since you intend for these people to join your group and they intend to join, there isn’t a need for any confirmation.” Jeru sighed. “Of course, if someone is unsure, they’ll have to manually confirm to join.”

  “Why does it say that a kid is the party leader?”

  Penelope looked at the dark-haired man. His arms were covered, but there was no hiding the fact that he’d done a lot of heavy lifting in his past. The bulging muscles under his armor weren’t from a gym; they were from hard, manual labor. The nametag above his head marked him as Abel Cotton. With her menu still open, information began compiling next to him.

  “Mid forties, worked as a miner, hauling gravel. He was adopted out of an abusive family and walled himself off emotionally. He likes everything to follow a vote and be democratic.” Jeru groaned. “He’s going to slow you down.”

  “Penny is the most capable person on our team. Her system allows her to see monster stats and skills, which makes her the best person to lead us.” Marlow stepped up to the bigger man.

  “I think we should have a say if we’re going to be risking our lives to fight these monsters.” The dark-haired man stroked his short beard. “And I don’t think a kid who looks like they couldn’t find their way out of a wet paper bag should be the one leading us.”

  Penelope glanced at the others. A quick check of their ages put all but one of them older than her, and the next closest one was 35.

  None of them are going to want to take orders from me. Penelope glanced at Jeru, hoping for some advice.

  “Remind them why they should follow you.” The blue Elf glanced at Patrick before looking back at her.

  “None of you were out there fighting the Cabbit Demon with me and Frederica.” Penelope cleared her throat. She kept her gaze moving from person to person so that she wouldn’t have to stare down anyone.

  “If you were watching, then you know what we can do, and you know how much stronger we are than you right now.” Penelope motioned at the group in front of her. “That gear you’re wearing? WE collected it by killing the Demons that were wearing it.” She paused to let the weight sink in. “We can help you level and survive, but..." She turned to the muscular man. “If you don’t want to be here, then drop the gear and walk away. But we aren’t voting on who the leader is. Frederica put me in charge of keeping you safe, and that’s what I’m going to do. But that means you have to do what I say. So if you have a problem with that... She fought the urge to run away as she looked into his blue eyes. “Leave.”

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  Abel held her gaze for a few seconds but looked away before the nerves raging inside her could stop her. “Fine, but I’m not going first. Prove you can keep somebody else alive.”

  Penelope swung her arms to try to hide the shivers that were running up and down her whole body. “We need four people, so..." Jeru, help?

  “Whitney is a follower; she won’t give you any problems being on the first team. Robert worked with Abel, and they have a rivalry. Give him a chance to show up the other guy, and he’ll jump at it. Kent is smart enough to realize that the first ones to level will be the first ones to start a new team. He’s about to ask to join anyway. Bradley will be best in the last slot. He likes puzzles, so the two of you should get along.”

  “I’d like to be on the first team.” Kent raised his hand and stepped forward. He was in his early fifties, but the way he held himself let everyone know he was comfortable with the sword on his back despite his wirey arms. He was also pale, like he hadn’t been outside much, but there was a hunger in his eyes.

  “That’s a physical attacker." Penelope nodded at him and turned to Whitney.

  The blonde woman was in her early forties. Fear oozed off her thick enough to rub off on anyone close as she twisted the shaft of the bow in her hands and looked down at her feet.

  “Whitney, you’ll be our ranged attacker.” Penelope nodded at the other woman, then turned to Robert. The muscular man smiled when her gaze stopped on him.

  “I’m in.” The red-haired man pounded his fist against his broad chest as he turned to Abel. “I’ll show you what a real man does!”

  Abel shook his head and moved to the back of the crowd.

  “That only leaves a Tank.” Penelope looked at the blond man. “Bradley.”

  Bradley stood up straight when she called his name. He made a sign of a cross on his chest and smiled. “I’m ready to help kill some Demons!”

  He was just as pale and thin as Kent, but without the confidence or killing intent. The metal armor that protected him at least made him seem like he would survive a few hits.

  “Pack up your stuff.” Penelope looked over at Patrick, who was grinning from ear to ear. She shook her head as she looked back at her team. “We probably won’t be able to come back, so carry whatever Patrick tells you to grab, then meet me at the portal.” She checked the time.

  “The countdown didn’t stop just because we were fighting and burying our..." The last words caught in her throat. Penelope blinked back the tears as she turned to keep the others from seeing the struggle on her face. “The timer doesn’t stop.” She waited for the weight of those words to sink in.

  “If the second floor is like the first one, then we’ve got two weeks to clear 97 squares.” Penelope steadied herself, then turned around to face her group. “Get your gear and let’s go.”

  An old robe with the arms tied had been converted into a makeshift bag. It contained the clothes she’d been wearing when she’d arrived. There were also a few potions that she’d grabbed, though they were Tier Zero, and now that she was level ten, they weren’t going to be as effective.

  All her worldly possessions could be rolled up in an old wrap. The feeling of how insignificant her life had been up to that point weighed on her shoulders. The whole reason she was here was because her disappearance didn’t change the timeline. Penelope pushed all the negative thoughts that built up out of her mind.

  She was making a difference now. And she wasn’t going to stop until she’d figured out a way to stop all of this from happening. Penelope stopped in front of the portal and turned to Marlow, who had been walking just a few steps behind her.

  “Are you ready?’ She tried to give him a reassuring smile.

  “No.” The older man chuckled. “But if we don’t go to them, then they’ll come for us.” He glanced at the group strown out behind them. Each one carrying monster skins, bones, shells, or laden down with meat.

  Penelope looked over at the dead Creeper Soldier a few hundred feet away. Even though they had carried Judah’s body over to the pyre, the monster that had killed him was still where it had fallen. The memory tried to force its way into her mind, but she puched it away. She didn’t need to get distracted by remembering how the infatuated man had sacrificed himself to shield her from a surprise attack.

  “I’m going to save you.” Penelope promised him under her breath as she turned to look at the rest of the group. “If this is like the first floor, then there should be a safe zone on the other side.”

  “There is.”

  Penelope ignored her parasite. “I’m going through first. Bradley, follow me, then the rest of you with Marlow last.” She glanced at her party, then at the rest of the group. “The rest of you, wait two minutes, then come in after us.”

  Abel opened his mouth, but she didn’t wait to hear whatever complaint he was about to voice. She turned and walked through the portal to the next floor.

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