Reyna watched as the empousa dissolved into dust. It wasn't the one who had tranquillized her. So that meant there was definitely more than one monster around here. The thought sent chills down her spine. She looked at the bat boy who had a wild look in his eyes. He was panicking. She wondered what he saw.

"What was that?" He demanded.

She approached him calmly and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Now is not the time for discussions. We need to get out of here alive."

"But she . . ." He stared at where her body was.

"Snap out of it." Reyna said in her best Peator voice. "We're in the middle of a battle. There is only one thing you should worry about now: surviving. Now can you get us out of here?"

She must have reached him, as determined look replaced the wild look. "Stay close." He continued further up the stairs. Reyna motioned for the kids to follow. They continued all they way up to the top unhindered. "They must be blockading the farmhouse." He guessed.

"Any ideas, Batboy?" Reyna asked.

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Batboy?! My name is Nightwing, Preator. What's your's?"

Reyna coolly looked back. "Preator will do."

They had a stare down for a moment until one of the kids coughed awkwardly. He looked away and opened the door to the top level a crack and closed it quickly. "They're waiting. At least twenty men and fully armed."

"What else did you see?" Reyna asked.

He gave her a questioning look for a moment, then looked down as though trying to remember. "I'm not sure, maybe some women."

Reyna tensed. That could mean a number of things coming from a mortal. She looked at the kids who looked back with so much faith in their eyes. "Can you get us past?" She almost added 'the mortals,' but stopped herself in time.

"I'm thinking." He said irritably. He looked like he was thinking about more than just how to get out of here as he kept glancing backwards and then at Reyna's sword.

"Maybe I can help." The little girl practically squeaked.

Nightwing looked at her with doubt in his eyes, but Reyna wondered exactly what she had in mind. "How can you help?" Reyna asked.

"I think I can keep the men's attention, so they won't shoot us." She looked scared to death at the thought, but had a determined glint in her eye.

Reyna pondered the possibility. "You can't seriously be considering this?" Nightwing protested.

Reyna gave him an annoyed look. "Do you have any other ideas?"

"I've got some smoke bombs, that we could use." He offered.

"I can't do it if I'm coughing." The girl said worriedly.

"Okay. You take her place." She pointed to a boy with tousled brown hair to help hold up the injured kid. "When you're ready." She nodded toward her.

"Keep your faculties about you and follow me." The girl warned.

"I have your back." Reyna nodded.

The girl took a deep breath and began singing. "Now I've heard there was a secret chord that David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?" Her voice was sweet and strong. "It goes like this the fourth, the fifth. The minor fall and the major lift." Every word and note struck a chord in Reyna. She was incredible. It took all of Reyna's will power to stop looking at her. Reyna opened the door to see several men with their guns pointed at them. When she looked at her chest, several red lasers were trained on her. "The baffled king composing "Hallelujah,"" The little girl sang as she stepped out from behind Reyna, still singing. The lasers moved to the girl, but she didn't falter. "Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah." Reyna ushered the kids out of the door. She had to grab Nightwing and pull him along behind her. The girl led them out of the house singing with such emotion that Reyna fought the tears that threatened to spill. She saw a couple of grown men crying as the girl walked by. The lasers attached to the guns were still trained on her, but no one fired. They were toward the edge of the clearing when Reyna noticed three fast moving trails rustling in the grass headed right for them. Reyna took position between the girl and the oncoming threat. Three dracnea jumped out of the grass and hissed threatening at them. Reyna reacted instantly and sliced through the monsters quickly. The girls voice faltered for a moment, but she continued to sing as they kept walking, looking about them warily.

"Why'd you do that?!" Nightwing asked with confusion. He looked like he was having a hard time processing things. Reyna again wondered what he saw.

They had kept walking away from the farmhouse and we're now deep into a field. The girl kept singing as though she were afraid of what would happen if she did stop. Reyna was just beginning to think that they had made it, when there was an unearthly screeching sound behind them. Reyna watched as three empusa burst out of the farmhouse. They glared at Reyna and Nightwing with fiery eyes that sent chills down Reyna's spine.

"Run." Reyna whispered. Then she found her voice. "Run!" She yelled. The little girl stopped singing and they all took off at a breakneck speed. Reyna stopped only to pick up the injured kid and ran with him over her shoulders. She was beginning to be very concerned for the boy, when she heard his labored breathing. The little girl was lagging behind and looked exhausted. She had over extended herself. A couple of boys were trying to help her.

Suddenly, Nightwing motioned for them to stop. "What do you think you are doing? We can't stop. We have to get out of here." She glanced nervously behind her.

"There's a trip wire here." Nightwing straddled a hidden wire and motioned with his hand where it was.

Reyna gave him a surprised look, but said nothing as she stepped over the wire. She was helping the kids over the wire, when Nightwing started running back toward the farmhouse. "Where are you going?" She called out in alarm.

"There's a SUV just up there. Get in. I'll be right back." He said as he disappeared into the night.

"Get back here. You can't fight them." Reyna called out.

There was no response. She made a frustrated noise in her throat, turned, and led the kids the rest of the way through the field. Sure enough, they stumbled upon a road, and there was a black SUV just like the ones at the clearing back at camp. If she had to guess, it was probably the same one. She opened the door to the back seat. Luckily it had a couple of rows, so they had plenty of seats. She got the kids situated, and then Reyna got in the drivers seat. She found the keys and placed them in the ignition, but stopped herself from starting the car. The auguries had been right. They wouldn't have been able to get out alive without a mortal. And he would be dead without her. They needed a mortal to fight whatever was going on. She needed him, preferably alive. She did, however, feel guilty that his brash introduction into her world might drive him mad.

She got out of the car. "Stay here." She ordered the kids. She started heading back to the farmhouse when there was rapid gunshots out of nowhere. She ducked instinctively. Then she saw him running towards her.

He grinned at her. "That should stop them."

Reyna looked over his shoulder and blanched. "No, it didn't." The three empousa were walking casually toward them. They're hair was on fire and their claws and fangs were out. It was a heart stopping sight.

"But, how did they get past the . . ." Nightwing looked stunned.

"Get in the car." Reyna said tersely as she drew her sword.

"I can fight, you know." He sounded put out.

"Not these. You can't fight these. If anything happens to me, get the kids back to the clearing. Promise me." Reyna locked eyes with him.

"I'm not leaving you." He said stubbornly.

The empousa were right on top of them. "Get in the car!" Reyna yelled one last time before engaging the empousa. They were wicked fast and Reyna was outnumbered, but she fought them ferociously, using all her training and even a few tricks Percy taught her. She managed to connect with one, turning her into dust. But one managed to slash at her arm, causing her to scream out in pain. She pushed herself past the pain and continued to fight. She barely dodged another slash, when a she saw too late that it was a trick to lead her right into another empousa' grasp. Out of nowhere a black object smacked the empousa in the face, giving Reyna the opening she needed to slash at the creature. She didn't even pause to watch her dissolve into dust when she managed to surprise the other one and cut it in half. She watched with satisfaction, when it dissolved into dust.

She turned to see Nightwing standing in front of the car with his face ashen white. "What was that?" He whispered. He sounded terrified. He should be.

"Get in the car." She ordered again as she moved to the front passenger seat and got in.

Nightwing obliged her this time and got in. "You're bleeding." He noticed.

"How astute." She said dryly. "Now drive."

Nightwing started the car, put it into gear and began driving. Then they heard a loud roar that shook the vehicle.

"Dive faster." She ordered. They weren't out of danger yet.