"Tch... looks like you've still got some fight left in ya," Machete commented as soon as Kriss was back on her feet.  He felt a glimmer of hope earlier when Kriss started fighting back, no matter how pathetically.  As long as there was still there, Machete felt optimistic that the old Gray Bitch could be brought back from the dead.  Grabbing a hold of Kriss's yoke, he started leading her in the direction of the Battery Fort.  His other hand was wielding the machete, just in case.  "Now c'mon.  Let's go get you some help."<br/><br/>It took a while longer, but they were eventually able to reach the front entrance, where a few alarmed Batterists immediately recognized Machete.  They did not, however, appear to recognize Kriss.  At least not at first, anyway.  One of them pointed out the scratched out words on Kriss's forehead, eliciting shocks and gasps throughout the warriors.  Machete thought he saw a couple of them even vomit.  They cautiously approached Machete and Kriss while one of them ran inside to alert the others.  They immediately stopped in their tracks again as soon as Shadow leapt forward and started barking at them.<br/><br/>"Tell your leader that Machete's here to return something he lost," Machete smirked as he continued leading Kriss into the fort.  He knew he stood no chance against the whole Batterist group and it was probably stupid of him to go into their territory by himself.  Still, it would hopefully not come to that.  His group and the Batterists had an understanding, after all.<br/><br/>"What the hell?" The Batterist leader came out of the fort and paused as soon as he saw Machete and the beaten and broken woman in a wooden yoke.  He was informed that the woman might be Kriss, but he had a hard time believing it.  He turned his eyes on Machete and asked, "Did you do this?"<br/><br/>"Heh... me?  I wish.  Nah, this was done by the Patricks.  I heard they caught her in a trap, though I didn't believe it at first myself," Machete explained.  He stared right back at the Batterist leader.  "I found her not too far from here.  Not sure how she found her way back what with her eyes like that and all, though."<br/><br/>"Well, I hope you weren't expecting some kind of reward," the Batterist leader smirked in response.  "What need do we have with someone like her?  She's useless to us now.  Even if she somehow got back here on her own, we would've just cast her back out onto the street.  In her condition, she's just as good as dead.  Probably wouldn't make for a good fuck, either."<br/><br/>"Harsh.  I'm almost impressed," Machete replied with a malicious grin.  "Actually, I came here with an offer.  I know how much you wanted to take out the Patricks.  Well, how about an alliance between our two groups?"<br/><br/>"An alliance?"  The Batterist leader laughed at that.  "What's in it for you?"<br/><br/>"Well, for one thing, I'll be able to take out the same people who took away the one person who could still challenge me," Machete replied as he pointed the tip of his blade at the leader.  "She was the only one who could've given me a worthy fight.  Unlike her boss."<br/><br/>"You've got an interesting way of asking for stuff," The leader looked about ready to cut Machete's throat out, but held off on it.<br/><br/>"Oh, and since you don't need her anymore, I guess I'll take her off your hands," Machete added quickly.  "You'll have to get rid of that yoke first, though.  With that thing still one, it'll be one pain in the ass taking her back to my place.  So, do we have a deal?"<br/><br/>"Fine," The leader replied.  He motioned toward the others and said, "Go grab whatever tools you can find and get that yoke off of her.  That's all I'm doing, though.  You'll have to clean her up yourself."<br/><br/>"Fair enough," Machete shrugged.