I instantly pulled out Void Reaper, settling into a defensive position. I noticed everyone else pulled out their weapons as well. I had fully expected for Hannah to be hiding from fear, but I realized that she was standing next to Whisper, hands out like she was going to punch the Wasted. "What are you doing? You don't have a weapon! Get back!" Dean said harshly. She glared at him. "I do too have a weapon! I have Sparky!" she said furiously.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just stay out of the way!" he growled, then he hefted Grimbane above his head and lunged towards the Wasted. With another rusty shriek, the Wasted lunged towards him. I felt a sudden tug of panic in my chest. Dean was going to get himself infected. "Dean!" I cried. I held up Void Reaper, then felt a button. My body reacted by pure instinct, as if I didn't have control over it anymore.

I pushed the button, and the blade separated into multiple sections of deadly metal, connected by strips of flexible wire. I slung it forward like a whip, and it cut through a Wasted, reducing it to ashes with a final shriek. I appraised my sword as it came back and rejoined into a single blade. "Awesome," I said softly. Then I leaped towards the swarm, swinging my sword like a deadly extension of my arm.

We fought for several minutes without incident. I was surprised to see that Hannah was standing up to the Wasted, swiping at them if they got near. I also saw that Whisper wasn't leaving the little girl's side, swinging the Wolfslayer in a circle to create a deadly shield. I turned my attention back to the fight ahead of me, but then I heard Whisper grunt from behind me.

I turned just in time to see that a Wasted had knocked the Wolfslayer from her hands, and was pinning her down. Hannah had been knocked to the side. The Wasted let out what sounded like a grating chuckle, then opened its mouth wide, baring its horrible fangs. I raised Void Reaper, but I was too afraid to lash out with the whip feature. I might hit Whisper, I thought fearfully.

But before any of us could do anything, there was a high, piercing scream, and a bolt of purple lightning blasted the Wasted off of Whisper. The Wasted cried out, but the lightning quickly blasted it into ashes. We all turned, human and Wasted alike, to stare at Hannah.

Tendrils of purple lightning flickered from her hands, surrounding them like deadly gloves. She giggled and brushed the hair away from her forehead, revealing a Void Crystal embedded in her forehead. She pointed at the Crystal. "This is Sparky!" she said cheerfully. "He helps me fight off all the nasties. Like you!" She pointed fiercely at the Wasted, and I swear I saw them flinch.

They all turned tail and tried to flee back up the halls, but it was too late. Hannah held out her hands and the lightning shot out from them like deadly electric arrows. Every blast felled another monster. Hannah called after the beasts, "No one hurts my friends! That's what you get, you meanies!"

Whenever all of the Wasted had gone, the lightning around Hannah flickered and faded away. She gently brushed her dirty blonde bangs back over the Crystal on her forehead. Peter came and knelt, taking her hand. "How did Sparky get there?" he asked gently.

Hannah sniffled. "The bad men in suits put him there. It hurt sooo bad. They said that I would help them fight the red crazies. But I didn't wanna fight for them! They took my mommy and daddy. So I blasted them and ran into the vents. I came out there," she said, pointing at the grate.

Whisper bent down and pulled Hannah close in a hug. "You're pretty strong," she said softly. Hannah smiled through her tears. "Yeah, Daddy said that too before he went away." She pulled away and wiped her eyes before smiling and crawling up into the vent. "Come on, friends! We need to save your friends!" she said, all sorrow gone. Whisper smiled and crawled in after her.

Dean glowered at the ashes of the Wasted, then glared suspiciously at Hannah before sighing and going through the vent. Peter held out his hand to help me into the vent. "After you, milady," he said charmingly. I couldn't help the blush spreading across my cheeks. I took his hand and crawled up into the vent, immediately uncomfortable from the claustrophobic space. But hearing Peter behind me reassured me.

Whatever comes next, we face it together, I thought. I thought of Ringmaster Oogway, of Grandmother Rosetta, of Julia and Lenny and everyone else in the Underground Circus. They had never given up on me, no matter what. I wouldn't let them down now.

I closed my eyes, and pressed forward into our unknown future.