"Tra la la la la~!" Rook sang to himself as he all but skipped through the woods toward the botanical garden.

"You're in unusually high spirits today, Rook, even for you," Trey commented as he followed a short distance behind. "Then again, I don't think I've ever actually seen you in a bad mood."

"Heh heh heh," Rook chuckled as he stopped and turned to face Trey, his ever-present smile still on his face. "And why wouldn't I be cheerful today? After all, there aren't many chances for dorm leaders and vice dorm leaders to face off, are there?" His green eyes narrowed though his grin didn't fade. "I'm hoping that I'll have another chance to challenge Vil once we reach the garden. Aren't you excited at the prospect of encountering the Roi des Roses?"

Trey grinned and shook his head. "Not really, no. I've never really been keen on competing with Riddle. Granted, I only played tag with him once or twice when we were kids." He considered for a moment. "I guess it could be fun to run around like that again."

Rook nodded enthusiastically. "Ah, wonderful! You've seen the light!" He turned back in the direction of the garden. "Now let us away to the-wait." His keen nose caught an unusual scent in the air and he held out his arm to keep Trey from moving forward. "Do you smell that, Trey? There's a very distinct aroma wafting through the air."

"Huh?" Trey paused and sniffed the air. Rook was right; there was definitely an out-of-the-ordinary scent in the air. "Ah, there it is. It smells kind of…spicy, I think? Pretty appetizing, actually. Could someone be cooking nearby? In the middle of the game?"

Rook sniffed the air again. "Judging from the direction of the wind, the aroma is coming from the botanical garden. Why don't we go and see for ourselves?"

Meanwhile, the farmer team was also taking notice of the strange scent in the air. "Huh… You guys catch that too?" Floyd asked the rest of his group. "There's a real strong smell comin' from the botanical garden." He sniffed the air again. "It's kinda familiar but I can't quite place it…" He pulled in another deep breath before the realization hit him. "Oh wait, I know! It smells like that meat Sea Otter was luggin' around earlier."

"Sea Otter?" Epel asked.

"He means Kalim," Riddle explained. "If memory serves, he's on the farmer team as well. What's all this about him carrying meat, though?"

Floyd shrugged. "He said it was a lunch that Sea Snake packed for him. Whatever it is, it sure doesn't smell like a sandwich and a bag of chips, I'll tell you that."

"Floyd's right," Epel agreed. "It almost smells like…someone's barbequing meat."

Vil sighed. "I don't understand how he can be so trusting. He's practically posted a neon sign over his head, broadcasting his location."

Floyd's lips twisted into an eager grin. "I'll bet he's luring plenty of monsters to him as we speak. It's gonna be a totally feeding frenzy over there. I say we get in on this action, boys!"

Outside the botanical garden, Jamil and the monster team members he'd convinced to join up with him used the nearby foliage as cover to peer through the glass walls of the dome-shaped building. The spicy scent of the cooking meat permeated the air around them, making it obvious who was inside. "It seems Floyd wasn't feeding me false intel when he told me where Kalim was headed," Jamil said quietly as he adjusted the hood on his own magic camo jacket before smirking. "I knew he'd heat up the packed lunch I made without stopping to question it. We'll make a clean sweep of all the farmers foolish enough to take the bait." He glanced back at the other monster team members. "Be ready to move on my signal."

"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.

"The closer we get to the garden, the stronger that barbeque smell is," Epel said as Vil's group continued on their way, doing his best to ignore his rumbling stomach. "I could start drooling any minute now."

"Pull yourself together, Epel," Vil chided. "We could run into the monster team at any moment out here."

Riddle nodded in agreement. "It's true. They know that Cater's group is headed for the garden."

"Which is why we're circling around to catch them from behind-" Vil began before coming to an abrupt halt as Floyd stopped dead in his tracks.

"Shh! Quiet!" Floyd urged in a whisper, prompting the others to freeze as well.

Everyone heard the tell-tale 'poink' sound of a firing bean blaster coming from a clearing just ahead of them. As they cautiously moved closer, they were nearly swept up into the large dust cloud generated by cause of the noise: Malleus himself, firing a relentless bean barrage at Lilia.

"What's the matter? Surely you can aim better than that!" Lilia taunted as he effortlessly dodged another shot. "Your shots are so slow, I can see the beans gathering dust in midair! You haven't the slightest hope of hitting me like that, not even in your wildest dreams."

Malleus smirked back. "And yet for all your speed, I see you're content to do little more than flee. You won't be able to catch me from that far away, you know. By all mean, come closer. Unless you're too afraid, of course."

"Keh heh," Lilia chuckled with delight. "Quite the cheeky boy you've grown into. Very well-since you so clearly insist, I'll give this just a touch of effort!"

"I think you'll find I'm far from little," Malleus fired back, his eyes sparkling eagerly. "Show no mercy, Lilia."

Vil's group watched as Lilia and Malleus rushed at each other once again, Lilia dodging Malleus' beans while Malleus spun quickly to keep Lilia in his line of sight, never leaving him an opening to tag him out.

"Wow…," Epel said breathlessly, barely able to keep up with what was happening.

"I must say, I didn't expect to stumble upon Diasomnia's dorm leader and vice dorm leader dueling like this," Vil commented.

"Incredible! They're both moving so quickly, I can barely keep up," Riddle marveled.

"Lilia's on the monster team, right? We should surround him and back Malleus up!" Epel suggested as he pulled out his bean blaster.

"Hold on there, Guppy," Floyd said, holding an arm out to block Epel from moving forward. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"But why not? When else are we going to have a chance like this?" Epel huffed as he scowled at Floyd.

Floyd's expression never changed and he never took his eyes off of Malleus and Lilia. "Sea Slug and Devilfishie are way too distracted to notice us right now. It's in our best interest to keep it that way. If they catch us, Devilfishie'll turn right around and eliminate us first."

"What?!" Epel exclaimed.

"Don't look so surprised. When you're fightin' a group, it only makes sense to take out the weaklings first," Floyd explained.

"You're callin us the weaklings?! But we're better-equipped than Lilia and we outnumber him!" Epel protested.

"Don't be so quick to write Lilia off, Epel," Vil interjected. "He may look dainty, but his PE grades are near the top of the whole junior class. He's definitely one of the school's heavyweights and he's made it to the end of Beanfest every year since he enrolled."

"Now that you mention it, Silver and Sebek both mentioned that Lilia was their martial arts instructor," Riddle recalled. "I assumed they were just trying to show respect to their upperclassman but…"

He trailed off for a moment to watch the battle continue. Lilia moved in to try to tag Malleus out, but Malleus moved out of his grasp at the last moment. "What's the matter, Malleus? You won't be much of a soon-to-be ruler if you keep retreating like that," Lilia taunted.

"I see that your breathing is growing ragged, Lilia. You shouldn't overexert yourself at your age. Perhaps you should take a nice rest in a rocking chair," Malleus fired back as the pair rushed toward each other again.

"Judging from the way Lilia's fighting now, Silver and Sebek weren't exaggerating in the slightest," Riddle commented.

"Exactly," Floyd agreed. "He's not just holding his own against Sea Slug, he's dancing circles around him."

"I doubt anyone on this campus has an accurate gauge of Lilia's true capabilities. Interfering in this battle would only spell trouble for us," Vil concluded.

"If Sea Slug wants to take Devilfishie out for us, I say let him. We should just mosey on by," Floyd said.

"You've surprised me, Floyd. I figured you'd be the first to jump into the fight," Riddle commented.

"Does this mean you're finally motivated to win now?" Vil asked.

Floyd shook his head. "Nah. Not really. 'S just that they look like they're having fun. It'd tank their mood and mine if we butted in."

Epel looked back toward Malleus and Lilia. The pair where now cackling with delight as they continued their fight and Epel couldn't decide if it was endearing or disturbing. Even so, their joy was clear on their faces. "Huh… I guess they really are enjoying themselves."

"We should keep low and sneak past them before they notice us," Vil said. "Stay focused on the goal, everyone. The botanical garden isn't much farther."

Back at the botanical garden, Jamil's plan was playing out just as he'd intended. Several farmers had been lured into the building by the enticing aroma of the meat he'd packed for Kalim. Since it was right around lunchtime now, more and more were beginning to appear, unable to resist their grumbling stomachs.

"What is that incredible smell?" one of the Savanaclaw farmers asked aloud as he and his honed in on the source.

"It's making my stomach rumble," said a Scarabia farmer. "It's a familiar scent too… I think-" He sniffed at the air again, his expression brightening once he finally placed the scent. "Yes! It's shawarma, the soul food of the Scalding Sands!"

"Okay, but why would it be here in the garden?" asked a Pomefiore farmer, his body moving practically on its own to follow the scent. "Something seems a little odd about this, but I just can't resist that aroma!"

The group followed the scent through the garden and eventually came across Kalim cooking meat on what looked like some kind of portable grill. They also noticed some pita bread and a variety of vegetable toppings nearby as well as a large thermos. Kalim didn't seem to notice them as they approached, alternating between watching the meat cook and reading something off of a slip of paper.

"Okay, let's see," he muttered to himself as he looked at the paper again. ""Once the surface has been cooked through, turn the spit and shear the cooked meat using scissors. (NOTE: BEWARE OF FIRE!) Next, insert vegetables and pickles into pita bread along with the meat. (NOTE: Small amounts are preferable as overstuffing with make it hard to eat.)"" He looked at the ingredients before nodding to himself with a grin. "Alright. I'll put in some pickled carrots…then some lettuce…and some tomato…and finally the meat!" He carefully stuffed his chosen ingredients into his pita. "There! All done. Now it's time for the best part: eating!" He took a bite of his pita, savoring the rich, spicy flavor as he chewed. "Oh man, that is good! The pickled carrots go perfectly with the grilled meat. I could live off of this for days and never get sick of it!"

Unable to withstand their hungry bellies any longer, the three students pushed their way out of the greenery and toward Kalim.

"Are you the reason it smells so good in here?" the Savanaclaw farmer asked.

"D-Dorm head!" called the Scarabia farmer. "Why have you set up an entire campsite grill in the middle of the garden?"

"Hmm?" Kalim finally looked up at the sound of the voices, smiling and waving at the three students. "Hey, guys! It's almost noon, so I was just grabbing some lunch."

"Wow… Just look at it all!" marveled the Pomefiore farmer. "Those vibrant pickled vegetable, that fluffy pita bread, the mouth-wateringly juicy meat… This is some real-deal shawarma, huh? Guess a lunch this luxurious is par for the course for a member of the Asim family."

Kalim gestured for the trio to join him. "Come on and have some! There's plenty to go around. I'd be glad to cook you up a fresh batch if you don't mind waiting for a few minutes."

"Thank you, sir! Don't mind if we do!" the trio eagerly agreed.

"Feel free to help yourselves to some of the tea in the thermos while you wait," Kalim offered.

"Thank you, dorm head!" the Scarabia farmer replied. "I'd be happy to pour some for everyone."

"We'll handle stuffing the pitas, then," the Savanaclaw farmer offered. "Does anyone not want pickles?"

"Thanks, guys! I really appreciate the help!" Kalim said gratefully.

A rustling sound nearby signaled the arrival of more hungry farmers. "Something smells amazing over here!" commented a farmer from Heartslabyul.

"I feel like I was literally led here by the nose," added another from Diasomnia.

"Looks like we've got more vistors," Kalim said before waving them over. "Hey, guys! Would you like some shawarma?"

The two newcomers nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"

Kalim smiled as he set about getting more meat ready. "I guess this is what Jamil meant when he said he set me up with a lunch I could enjoy with friends. He's so smart! Food always tastes better when you've got someone to share it with, after all!" He called out to the farmers who had just sat down, "Just sit tight, boys! The next batch of meat is going on the grill as we speak!"

Cater let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he and the rest of his group finally reached the edge of the woods, the botanical garden just a short distance away. "Phew… Well, we all made it to the garden in one piece…somehow." He pulled in a deep breath, only to catch the scent that had lured in a slew of farmers already. "Hey, do you guys smell something spicy in the air or is it just me?"

The rest of the group sniffed the air as well before nodding. "Oh, yes. Extremely spicy. Quite the appetite-whetting aroma," Jade commented.

"You ain't kiddin'. I'm already droolin'!" Grim agreed, craning his head to catch more of the scent.

"It's nearly lunchtime too, which makes it all the more distracting," Devon added.

Grim sniffed the air again before pointing toward the door leading into the garden. "It's comin' from in there! Let's go see what's up!" With that, he hopped down from Devon's shoulder and made a beeline toward the door.

"Grim, wait!" Devon called after him, trying not to raise her voice too much and give away their positions. "Don't just run off on your own!"

"Seriously, Grimmy, you can't let your stomach do all the thinking here," Cater agreed. "This could be a trap for all we know!"

Jade smiled ruefully in Grim's direction as he rushed toward the garden's door, heedless of any warnings. "There's no stopping him, it seems. We might as well follow him."

Unbeknownst to them, Jamil's group of monster team members were well aware of their approach. Having to stay hidden meant that they couldn't tell precisely how was heading into the garden, however. Since Jamil was the only one with a magic camo jacket, he was the one who risked taking a peek as the farmer group entered the garden.

"Well, well. This is interesting. Seems we've got Cater Diamond from Heartslabyul, Jade Leech from Octavinelle and," He smirked when he caught sight of Devon scooping Grim up before he could barrel through the garden and trying to keep from getting too distracted by how much the camo suited her, "Devon Lopez and Grim from Ramshackle. This will make for a nice haul indeed."

"C'mon, guys, it's comin' from over here!" Grim announced, tugging at Devon's sleeve and urging her toward the scent. The group headed cautiously in the direction Grim had indicated and moments later discovered Kalim, still grilling away with a smile on his face.

"Oh, hey guys," he greeted. "Did the scent draw you in too?"

Jade, Cater, and Devon immediately moved to grab their beans, keeping a careful distance in case Kalim tried to grab them.

"Easy, easy! There's no need to bean me, okay?" Kalim assured them, gesturing to the orange patch on his PE clothes. "I'm on the farmer team too, see?"

Jade eased out of his defensive stance, squinting to get a closer look at the patch without actually moving closer. "He seems to be telling the truth."

Cater and Devon relaxed as well once Jade confirmed Kalim was on their side. "Are you here all by yourself, Kalim?" Cater asked as they moved closer.

"Nevermind that! What's that amazing smell?" Grim asked. "It's takin' over the whole garden!"

"Oh, you must mean the shawarma I'm making," Kalim replied.

Cater blinked. "Shawarma?"

"I believe I've heard of it before. If memory serves, it's a dish created in the Scalding Sands. It's made by fire-roasting a mix of mutton and chicken on a spit. From what I've heard, it's been gaining popularity internationally recently."

"It sure has! Some places have different names for it, but I'm glad some of the food from my home is being enjoyed by people all over the world," Kalim said.

"Yeah, that's awesome and all, but why does it feel like we just walked into a neighborhood barbeque?" Devon asked dryly, gesturing toward all the farmers eating happily without a care in the world.

"Sheesh… Clearly we're not the only ones who caught the scent," Cater said. "Everyone's stuffing themselves silly!"

"Hey, you can't fight on an empty stomach," countered a nearby Octavinelle farmer.

"And there's nothin' like some good meat to get ya recharged!" added a Savanaclaw farmer.

"Right? Jamil packed all this up for me last night so I could make a proper lunch out of it," Kalim told them.

Cater and Devon exchanged a look. "Don't you think that's going a little overboard?" he asked.

"There's even an infrared grill for slow-roasting the meat. That's dedication if I've ever seen it," Jade commented.

"Heh. Oh, I dunno about that. This is pretty standard for us," Kalim replied.

'There's no way Jamil packed all this just because,' Devon thought, glancing around worriedly. 'Jade said dorm leaders and vice dorm leaders are on different teams and he had to have known whatever spices and seasonings he used on that meat would make an extremely powerful smell…'

Grim, meanwhile, was too busy eyeballing the food to even consider that it might be a set-up. "This stuff looks crazy good! I gotta get me some!"

"Of course! Give me just a moment and I'll get some fired up fresh for you!" Kalim promised.

Cater leaned closer to Jade and Devon, keeping his voice to a whisper. "I've got a bad feeling about this, guys."

Devon nodded. "Same."

"As do I," Jade agreed. "I think it would be best if I wrapped up my business sooner rather than later. To that end, I'll be ducking out for a bit." He gave them both a polite nod. "Please excuse me."

Devon was debating whether or not it was worth it to try to pull Grim away from the cooking food when Kalim called out, "Alright, the meat's done. Now you just load it up with all the veggies and pickles you want and then stuff it into the pita bread."

"Woohoo! You're a real pal, Kalim!" Grim cheered before taking a big bite of his shawarma. "Mm-mm! Now that's the good stuff. The meat itself is spicy but this salty-sweet sauce you put on it really punches it up to another level!"

"I'd be happy to whip some up for you guys too, Cater and Dev," Kalim offered. "It'll only take a second."

Cater shook his head. "Yeeeeah, I think I'm gonna take a pass on that, actually."

"Me too," Devon agreed. "We appreciate the offer, though."

"Aww, there's no need to be shy. I've got plenty to go around," Kalim urged.

Cater sighed before turning to Devon. "Let's hope Jade finishes up whatever business he had with this "smith" guy soon. I really don't wanna be here when things get messy."

Kalim tilted his head in confusion. "Messy? What do you mean by that? And what's the big hurry, anyway?"

"It's just that this grilling you've been doing makes for a strong smell that carries surprisingly far…," Cater explained, only to be cut off by more rustling. He and Devon turned to see another group of students making their way toward the smell…and their stomachs sank when they saw Jamil at the head of the pack. A closer look confirmed their worst fears: every single student in that bunch was wearing a purple monster team patch.

"Farmers spotted! A whole group of them!" Jamil announced to the others.

A monster from Ignihyde smirked. "Hah! Like fish in a barrel."

"Hurry and nab 'em while they're off their game!" cried a Heartslabyul monster.

Kalim was thoroughly thrown for a loop. "Huh? Jamil?"

"Where'd all these monsters come from?!" Grim demanded.

"This is what Dev-Dev and I were trying to warn you about, Kalim," Cater said. "Cooking something with such a strong and distinctive smell is basically painting a giant bullseye on yourself."

"It's true that the spices used in traditional shawarma are potently fragrant," Jamil agreed before shooting them a sly smirk. "I only wanted to make sure Kalim had a nourishing lunch today. I certainly wasn't expecting it to lead to this."

Devon grinned in spite of herself and rolled her eyes playfully. "You are beyond full of it, my guy."

"Usin' delicious food to set a trap in the lowest of low!" Grim protested, scarfing down what was left of his food and hopping back up onto Devon's shoulder.

Cater nudged Devon's other shoulder as he took a step backward, ready to make a dash for the exit on the other side of the building. "I think it's time for us to make our dramatic exit, guys!"

"Don't have to tell us twice!" Devon agreed as they began to run.

"I don't think so," Jamil said before turning to two of the monsters that had joined him. "We're going after them! Don't let any of them escape!"

"Grim, how many of them are chasing us?" Devon asked as she and Cater booked it toward the exit, doing her best to keep her voice low enough so only they could hear her.

"Uhh…" Grim looked back over his shoulder. "I see three guys, including Jamil."

"Okay…" She was silent for a moment as she thought of a plan, taking note of where they were and the different paths they could take to get to the exit. "If memory serves, there's a split in the path coming. When we reach, I'll take the path that branches off into the subtropical zone. Grim, you and Cater stay on the main path toward the exit and head to that plot Epel uses to grow his lanternblossoms."

Cater nodded. "Good call. He wanted to keep them hidden, so he made sure to pick a place that'd be tough to find. We can take advantage of the trees and tall pants and let my jacket work its' magic."

"Wait, why can't I go with you, Dev?" Grim asked.

"Because I don't think Jamil's gonna be as quick to write me off as someone who doesn't know me," Devon explained. "If he plays this the way I think he will, he'll only send one guy after you two and Cater's camo jacket should help you either hide or take the guy out. I'll be working to do the same with the ones that come after me, but if I haven't met you guys at the lanternblossoms in five minutes, you need to leave without me."

Grim was quiet for a moment, turning over Devon's words in his head. He knew how capable his henchman was, but that didn't mean he liked the idea of leaving her to fend for herself. The rule against magic meant that the Wisps wouldn't be backing her up today either, so if he agreed, she would truly be on her own. At the same time, he knew Devon wouldn't have suggested this plan if she didn't think they could pull it off. He had to trust the she'd be okay. "…Fine," he finally agreed, moving to Cater's shoulder instead. "But make sure we don't have to leave you behind, okay? Boss's orders."

Devon nodded with a grin as they approached the fork in the path. "You got it, boss. See you both on the other side."

The trio split off at the fork as planned and when Devon risked a glance over her shoulder she saw that, just as she'd anticipated, Jamil and one of the other farmers had followed her. She put on a quick burst of speed to gain just enough of a lead before darting off the beaten path and into the sea of tropical plants. She wasn't a track runner like Deuce and Jack; she knew she didn't have the stamina to outrun her pursuers over a long distance. Luckily for her, the obstacles in this area of the garden worked to her advantage. She was able to vault over and dodge around whatever was in her path and within seconds she was no longer able to hear any footfalls behind her. Now satisfied that they were no longer on her heels, she quickly climbed up the nearest tree and settled on one of the branches, letting her camo jacket conceal her as she waited.

Soon enough, the Heartslabyul monster came crashing through the brush looking for her. Remembering what she'd learned during paintball outings with her family, she quieted her breathing as much as she could and waited until he'd walked just past her hiding spot, trying not to make a sound as she readied her bean blaster. Once he was in optimal firing range, she took the shot. Her aim was true and the bean hit her opponent right in the shoulder, causing him to yelp in surprise. His head whipped this way and that as he tried in vain to find her, his gaze even flitting directly to her more than once before he looked away, causing Devon to thank the Seven once again for the jacket. After a few more seconds of not finding her, the Heartslabyul monster's shoulders slumped and he headed off in the direction of the exit, only for Jamil to come into view at the last moment. They were too far away for Devon to hear what they were saying, but she saw the Heartslabyul monster gesture in her general direction and Jamil nod before stepping cautiously into the copse of trees and readying a large pole-like contraption that Devon hadn't noticed he'd been carrying before.

'Crud,' Devon groaned inwardly. 'I don't have time to hang around here. I need to get back to Grim and Cater.'

As if fate itself was answering her plea, one of the farmer team members who had been eating shawarma when Devon's group arrived came crashing through the undergrowth with another of Jamil's monster team followers in hot pursuit.

"We've got some runners, Jamil! We tagged most of the farmers in that big group out already, but a handful slipped away in the chaos!" the monster reported, still chasing after the farmer. "We don't have enough people or equipment to wrangle 'em all."

"What about Kalim?" Jamil asked, unconcerned about the others.

"I'm not sure, but we gathered up all the farmers we eliminated into a big group," the monster replied. "Last I checked, Kalim wasn't with 'em."

"Rgh…" Jamil hesitated, torn, as his teammate ran out of sight. Eliminating Devon would be a missive boost to his ego, to say nothing of the bragging rights he'd get to (playfully) lord over her and the fact that in normal circumstances he'd never say no to some one-on-one time with her. At the same time, eliminating Kalim was the whole reason he'd gone to so much trouble with the packed lunch in the first place. This game was one of the only times he could one-up Kalim without the fear of repercussions from his parents or the Asims. If any arose, he could explain it away as him getting caught up in the spirit of Beanfest. He looked from the trees he knew Devon was hiding in somewhere to the direction he'd chased her, Cater, and Grim from and back again before calling out, "You win this round, my jewel. Just know that you might not be so fortunate should our paths cross again."

Devon let out the breath she was holding as Jamil rushed back in the direction he'd come, doing her best to ignore the way her cheeks warmed at the pet name. 'My jewel, huh? That's a new one…' She shook her head to clear it before moving to climb down from her tree. 'Focus! I've gotta link back up with the boys.'

"If Dev-Dev's not here in the next thirty seconds, we're gonna have to move on, Grimmy," Cater warned Grim as the little monster sniffed the air again, his ears swiveling back and forth as he tried to pick up some sign of his human's approach.

"We can't go without her, Cater!" Grim protested before quickly trying to dial back how desperate he sounded. "I-I mean, she's got the bean blaster, right? And she's the most athletic out of the three of us."

"None of that's going to do us any good if she's already been eliminated," Cater pointed out. "I don't wanna leave her behind either, but this was her plan."

"Thankfully, you won't have to," a third voice said. Cater and Grim both breathed sighs of relieve as Devon joined them. "Sorry to cut it so close. I had to take the long way to avoid Jamil's monster crew. Looks like most of 'em are chasin' after some of the farmers that broke away from that crowd Kalim was feeding. We should get outta here while they're distracted."

"Right!" Cater and Grim replied in unison. Grim took his rightful spot on Devon's shoulder once again as the trio finally made their way to the exit.

Ending Notes: This chapter just makes me wish (yet again) that the rest of the Lopezes could've been part of Beanfest. Or at least that DJ and Dom could've been there. Granted, Dom would probably be too busy making out with Idia to contribute buuuut…

I haven't had many opportunities to do it quite yet since the story's focus has been elsewhere, but I really want to write more of Idia bonding with Dom's squad. Bonus points if the unknowingly get Lilia involved. These idiots were practically made to be living incorrect quote generators.

Dom: *via headset in the middle of dungeon* MuscleRed, I don't think we're gonna be able to mansplain, manipulate, or malewife our way outta this one.

Lilia: *also via headset* Fine. *cracks knuckles* Manslaughter it is.

Or…

Errin: *giggling to herself over the mic*

Idia: You're in an oddly good mood today. Did something happen?

Errin: Can't I just be happy for no reason?

AJ: Liam tripped and fell in the parking lot earlier today.

Or maybe…

Harper: People who sleep without socks on worry me.

Dom: People who sleep with socks on are not to be trusted.

Idia: People who sleep are weird.

Lilia: I was a sock once.

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!