The Trench welcomes you! I apologize for just now posting a new chapter, but the last few weeks have been filled with a lot of stress, so I've finally got a little bit of the writer's juices flowing. Please enjoy!

Cori once had to drag Adam out of a fight when his legs went numb, and it was even harder because she was blind and a whole 5 inches shorter than him. Now, being the size of an eleven year old, with strength to match and dusty glasses, she wishes she was back in that fight. Agatha was stumbling along, but managing to stay on two legs, arm in a makeshift sling made from her own jacket, with Kat's still being used as a pressure bandage. Both Kat and Cori's arms were around her waist to keep her up, and she hand a hand on each shoulder. Still, Cori could tell the blood loss was getting to her, as she was stumbling more and more.

"How much further to the jeep?" Cori grunted out as the three tripped over a root.

"Can't be too far." Kat growled out. The sound of a dog barking drew their attention back the way they came.

"Sounds like your friend met mine." A voice said. The man stepped out of the bushes; gun trained on the trio. The sight made Agatha snap out of the pain filled fog she was in. She stood straighter, and firmly but gently, pushed the two younger girls behind her.

"Get behind me, girls." She said in a calm voice. She knew they were heroes in their own time, and older than they seemed, but at this moment, they were to scared kids, and she was the oldest present. The man chuckled.

"Could've shot ya long before now, but I enjoy a good walkabout." He said with a feral grin. Cori and Kat clenched their eyes shut.

"Kat, I just wanna let you know, you aren't that big of a bitch to me." Cori said.

"Cori, I was the one who put hot sauce in your milk when we first met, not Rocky." Kat said. Cori grabbed her hand.

"Don't worry, he was going for a headlock anyway." She said. The sound that came next wasn't a gunshot, but a clang and a thud. The three opened their eyes and saw a bloody, battered, but beaming Beatrice.

"That's how we do it in Newark!" She said, tossing the pie she had used to knock out the man. She smiled at her friends, before tipping forward.

"Little help, please?" She said as she keeled over. Cori quickly ran over and helped her up. She winced at the poorly bandaged bite wound on her leg.

"The dog got you good." She pointed out. Beatrice limped along, leaning on Cori as Agatha and Kat slowly brought up the rear.

"Yeah, but I got the plugs." Beatrice panted out.

The four finally got to the jeep and got it running, driving down the road a ways before Bearice pulled off to the side. Cori and Kat looked at her from the backseat.

"Do you need us to drive?" Kat asked. Beatrice shook her head.

"No, I can get us there. I just need you guys to go look behind that rock." She said, pointing to a large boulder. Kat reached behind it and pulled out a box. Opening it, she gasped in delight.

"Cori, our crystals!" She said, handing Cori a large, opaque crystal. Flashes of pink and indigo went through them as the two walked back over to the jeep.

'But you guys still need our help." Kat said, and Cori nodded in agreement. Beatrice waved them off.

"We are good. You guys got a lot bigger problems to get back too. But you did good." She said. Kat went over and hugged Agatha. Agatha pulled back with a smile and a wink.

"Take care, little cousin." She said. Kat became confused, and before she could say anything, her and Cori were gone.