Her declaration of having already fought monsters made Bunny glance at Jack, pausing for a moment as his irritation softened.

There was more than the usual teenage sass at work here. This girl was aggressive like an abused animal - snapping at everything, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

No kid should be in that situation, but as she'd pointed out, she already was.

"If Manny's recruiting child soldiers that other people have already recruited . . . that's still not a call we can stand by. But whether you end up in the fight or just stick to finding your way home, you don't have to do it alone. That's why we came here."