"More the merrier, I figure." Maria shrugged. "They won't take me along yet, not 'til I'm a little older, but I wanna help, too." She chewed on her lower lip a little, in thought. "I guess getting that up close and personal with the bad stuff is a good reminder of why you're fighting it."

A good reminder of how dangerous it could get out there, too. But she already knew that. If it wasn't dangerous, they wouldn't have to do it, right?