Page 1 of Wrong Squad, Right Mess

Chapter One

Yun

The damp soil soaked into my slacks as the chill reached even deeper into me. Farther away, the roars of monsters echoed through the dim space, the strange mixture of our world and this place, somehow not quite either.

I sat on a rock, my arms wrapped around my knees, with Kenyon and Shear on either side.

Neither sat, though, to be fair, they were naked. I doubted I’d want to sit on anything here with my bare skin…

“Come here,” Kenyon said, lifting his arm. “You’re shivering.”

“You’re naked,” I reminded him. “I’m not sure how you’re expecting to help.”

“Well, body heat is better than nothing. Besides, I can regulate my temperature better than you can. Come on.”

I could have argued more, but I obeyed, standing and moving next to him.

He was right, too. His body felt like a heated blanket, and just wrapping my arms around him helped chase off the chill.

“How long are they going to take?” I asked.

“They’re usually quick,” Shear said, then closed his eyes for a moment. “They’re on their way back already.”

Carter and Ingram had taken off to get the lay of our surroundings, as they were able to move faster than the rest of us. We still had no good idea how exactly we’d ended up here, but I could guess.

Given that I’d weakened the heart of The Pitt before, and a tear had already opened once, we must have fallen into another when it opened for real this time.

I’d never heard of that happening, but just because something was new didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.

I enjoyed the warmth and, just as Shear had predicted, within two minutes, Carter and Ingram appeared from the line of trees that surrounded us. They were both splattered with spots of purple gore, a sign that their trip hadn’t been entirely uneventful.

Not that either showed any evidence of injury or effort. Even without weapons, even entirely naked, I knew it would take more than a few monsters to harm them. It went to show the trust I’d developed with them.

In fact, that trust was the only thing keeping me in my right mind after finding myself here—the only place I truly never wanted to return to.

“Clothes?” Shear asked.

“Aren’t you modest?” Carter curved his lips into a smirk. He hefted a bag he hadn’t had before over his shoulder.

“We need to try a week at a nudist colony,” Ingram said. “I think I like the whole cock-in-the-breeze feeling.”

Carter glanced down Ingram’s front. “You should be more worried, with all that jewelry you have hanging off yours. Hate to see it get snagged.”

Ingram at least looked horrified at that suggestion. Then again, if there was anything he prized, it was that part of himself. If he lost it, I can’t imagine how he’d spend his days.

“You’d miss it, too.” Ingram’s comment drew me out of my thoughts, making me realize that he must have guessed what was on my mind.

“Yeah, I would.” I curled in more to Kenyon’s side, seeing no good reason to pretend it wasn’t true.

“See! You all heard it, right?” Ingram pointed at each of the other men, as though gathering some jury against me for future use.

“Clothes?” Shear asked again. “I’m not as large as any of you, and I get cold much more easily.”

“Such a delicate flower.” Ingram twisted, tossing a duffle to Shear.

Shear caught it, then opened it and fished through the items inside. “This is all horrible.”

“You know the shit that shows up here is random. Sometimes there’s fuck all. This time, there’s a hell of a lot more than usual.” Ingram crouched next to Shear, seeming to check the items more closely.