Enraged shouts drove Joan faster. Her shoes pounded pot-holed pavement. Got to get back to the entrance! She searched each cross-street. They can't find me in Trollmarket.

"Yo, she's on Maple." A man stepped from the shadows and stuffed his phone in his pocket. "Hey, Joan." He gave her a sharp nod and stepped into the road.

The last working street lamp flickered and buzzed on as the evening sun sank behind the nearest building. Joan inched toward the little puddle of light. She shook her head. "Why are you doing this? I'm nothing to you – any of you."

"Jus' heard you snitched on us," he said. "Worst kind 'a traitor's a snitch, Joan."

"Snitched? But, I didn't!" She ran.

"Hey! You come back here!"

They won't stop hunting 'til they get me. Joan darted through the darkening streets as the shouts grew louder. Around here, "snitch" meant traitor, or worse, outsider. I'm not a snitch! Obviously, that doesn't matter. She snorted. Told them whatever you had to, didn't you, Josh. Couldn't lose face in front of your boys.

Joan passed a battered sign. "Elm." She skidded into a cross-street. Wrong way! Great. Why did I go out during the d– No! I can't depend on Nomura for everything. She kept running as she circled toward Trollmarket. She taught me a lot. Time to use it.

She ducked into a deserted alley and gasped for air, hands on her knees.

"Snitch went this way! She's close!"

Joan bolted. Got to get away! She turned down roads at random. If she saw someone, she took another street or doubled back. Sweat soaked her clothes as her heart hammered. Shadows lengthened, but she kept running.

A man in a hoodie appeared ahead so Joan took a hard left into a narrow alley. Once she passed several locked doors and a dumpster, she noticed the wall at the end of the path.

"No, no, no!" She backtracked. Too late.

"There you are," Josh sneered from the entrance. His goons surrounded him. "Lil' snitch."

Joan gulped but stood straight and declared, "Liar! I ain't no snitch."

"Then where were you?" said Josh. "With the Punk Sharks? Or did you go cry to da fuzz?"

"Neither. The world's bigger than your stupid gang wars. You're just too pathetic to see it."

"What's that now?" Josh stood stupefied.

"You heard me. PATHETIC!" Joan took a step toward the gang leader. "You hide behind your tough-guy attitude with your fists, guns, and those idiots who follow you. And it's because you're too sad to do things yourself! You can't even take it when one little girl stands up to you!"

Josh's eyes narrowed. "Shut up," he hissed.

"People with real strength don't need to prove it," said Joan. "But you always have to prove yourself because you're weak."

With a snarl, Josh pulled his gun on Joan.

I should be terrified. She stared into the barrel. I should be hysterical. This could be it, but… Calm strength took her. Just one more song – the Night Queen Aria, maybe. Joan closed her eyes and hummed.

Josh hissed. Joan sensed his finger tighten on the trigger.

"NO!"

Her eyes flew open as someone tackled Josh. The gun clacked to the pavement as the gang leader and his attacker grabbed for it.

"Don't touch my sister!"

"Chris!" Joan cried as the pair struggled.

"You traitor," Josh growled.

"Joan, run," Chris urged as he managed to snag the weapon.

Josh's men stepped forward, but the crack of a gunshot scattered them. Josh kicked the weapon out of Chris's hand.

"Go! You were right!" Chris grappled Josh to the pavement. "You can do better than this, but only if you get out of here!"

Josh got away and scrambled to his feet. He cracked Chris's jaw with a bloodied fist and Chris replied with a solid head-butt.

"Get away from my brother," Joan rammed Josh.

"I said run!" Chris bellowed as Josh broke his hold.

"No," Joan countered.

The gang leader hissed at the pair, his gun still on the ground between him and Chris. Both eyed the weapon. They snatched for it.

Joan looked for an opening as the two struggled for control, but a sharp crack sent her three steps back. "Chris!"

Her brother staggered, eyes wide as he clutched his side. Red stained his white shirt too fast.

"This is your fault!" Josh's fury lit his face as he held the gun on Chris.

"I – I didn't mean…" Tears blurred Joan's vision. "Chris…" she sobbed.

"It's not your fault, stupid," Chris groaned, hissed and grabbed his side tighter.

"No… it's yours," she wiped her tears and glared at Josh. "It's all of yours!" Joan swept a hand at the rest of the gang. "You drag people down to your level, and I hate you. All of you!"

Josh turned the gun on Joan. "Likewise," he sneered.

A claw snapped Josh backward, and he stood before a creature taller than him. He cowered at its pink hide and startling green eyes.

Half the gang screamed and sprinted back to the road faster than rabbits fleeing a hound dog. The others shrank behind a dumpster.

"Why is this stupid city always littered with trash?" Nomura growled into Josh's ashen face. "And why am I the one who always has to clean it up?!" She heaved the gang leader onto his goons and leapt after him to pummel the wailing heap of cowards.

Joan reached her brother as he sank to his knees. "Chris!" She held a hand over his wound.

"What is that?!" Chris stared at Nomura, then yelped as his weight shifted.

"Don't move," Joan begged. Breaths came fast and short as she fumbled for something she could use. "We have to stop the bleeding, right?"

Chris groaned and sank onto the cracked pavement.

Josh and his crew staggered off, crying.

When Nomura approached Joan and her brother, Chris gasped.

"It's okay," Joan assured. "This is Nomura. She's… my music teacher."

"She's what?" Chris said.

Nomura cocked an eyebrow at Joan and Chris.

"He – Josh shot him! What do we do?" Joan looked up at the troll.

"Don't you humans have hospitals for this kind of thing?" said Nomura.

"We can't. The police will ask questions, then Chris will be a snitch for real. Please, Nomura! He saved me. There's got to be another way!" Joan pleaded.

With a hiss and a groan, Nomura said, "Fine. We'll take him to the Trollmarket entrance, but no further. I have a contact – a human doctor."

"You do?"

"Well, the Trollhunter does."

"Jim knows a doctor?"

"Yes." Nomura took Chris's arm, which elicited a scream. "Oh, suck it up." She pulled the young man onto her back. "This is just great." Nomura rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Joan said, eyes on a shredded candy wrapper huddled in a crack.

"Seriously. I let you out of my sight for a second and this happens. Why am I surprised?" Nomura headed toward Trollmarket.

"Sorry," Joan repeated.

"For the record, he may be your brother, but this kid is not staying at my place."

"You…" Chris groaned. "You're the one who took care of my sister? Her music teacher… Did you teach her to sing?"

"No. Kid taught herself that," Nomura said.

"Thanks," Chris whispered as he passed out.

"We have to get him somewhere he can lie down," said Joan. She scanned the empty street. At least no one's out to see us. She hurried after Nomura. "Thanks… for saving me."

"Pfft! If you got hurt while under my care, the Trollhunter would have my head," Nomura replied.

"Can't have that." Joan smirked. "And what if Blinky decided to give you one of his big lectures?"

"That would be the worst," Nomura groaned.

"Then I suppose it's good I'm okay."

Nomura nodded. "But if Blinky hears about this…" She pointed to Chris and rolled her eyes. "Why do I keep getting into these situations?"

This chapter has been edited by Dtill359