I grabbed a marker from the side table and pulled up the holographic whiteboard. The display flickered to life, casting blue light across the faces of everyone assembled.
Seventeen names. Six slots per team. Three teams.
Math that would give a kindergartner nightmares.
I could feel Natalia's eyes boring into the back of my skull. Emi's hopeful gaze. Skylar's amused smirk. Soomin's quiet intensity. Celeste's analytical stare. Noah pretending not to watch me while absolutely watching me.
The smart play would be to stack my team with all of them. Surround myself with beautiful women who wanted to protect me. Live the dream.
The smart play would also get us all killed.
A team of nothing but damage dealers and healers? No frontline tank? Six different egos fighting for my attention while monsters tried to eat our faces? That wasn't a combat unit. That was a reality TV show waiting to implode.
I turned to face the room.
"We're not picking friends."
