"Will you just—I don't need any help!" Techie insisted to the men on either side of her, both of whom ignored her protests. It wasn't that she minded having Eddie offer himself as a crutch. It was the least he could do, after the mishap that had gotten her into this predicament. (She was going to have to teach that man to dance.)

But then this Riffraff had shown up to help where he wasn't needed. He said his name was Dick; Techie held back the snark because it was just too easy.

But she complained loudly when, together, they lifted her off the ground and carried her outside.

"Look, I'm fine! It's not like I've never done this before."

"You have? You should be more careful," Eddie said innocently. She shot him a withering glare that made him flinch. Oblivious, Dick spoke up.

"I'd be glad to take you to the hospital."

"No," Techie snapped.

"It's no trouble."

"No!"

He pouted at her. She glared back. He was going to have to learn, just like everyone else, not to use the eyes on her. She was bloody well immune.

"I can take it from here," said Eddie. "You go back to your Smoke Hawk."

"My what?" Dick said blankly.

"Smoke Hawk. Harrier. A bird of prey? Your girlfriend, Richard! Honestly—and I considered you people a challenge."

Confused, Techie looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Do you two know each other?"

"Um…" That was when the screaming started. "I should…save…Babs."

Normally, running into a panicked mob wouldn't have looked quite so much like running away. But this was a special situation.

The door hardly had time to swing shut behind Mr. Heroic when it opened again and Jonathan stormed out, looking more murderous than usual.

"What happened to you?" Techie asked.

"What do you think happened to me? I'm done here. I want to go home."

"Did you gas them?" she pressed. He glared at her. She had to ask. "Squishy, where were you keeping your toxin?"

He ignored the question.

"If Al comes out of there, tell her I'm not going along with this dating scheme anymore."

"Oh, my—you gassed Al?"

"Probably. I can't tell you how much breathing she was doing, but she may have inhaled something. One can only hope," he muttered.

Techie turned to Eddie.

"Damn it all—You have to go in after her."

"Me?"

"Who else? He's not going to do it, and I'm too gimpy to—Captain! You gassed the Captain! Way to blow our cover, Squishums!"

"It was worth it," he grumbled.

"Captain's not in there." Startled, Techie turned to see Al emerging from the alleyway behind them.

"Where did you come from?"

"Out the window," she replied, as if it should have been obvious. "You don't really think I'm stupid enough to run toward the screams?"

"How's Bruce?" Jonathan muttered. Al raised her sack o' loot.

"Dumb and rich, just the way I like 'em. And probably too scared to move by now. Blockhead." That seemed to satisfy Jonathan. "But Captain left before you got all gas-happy. She's getting felt up in the next alley over. Do we crash the party, or go home and hope she never makes the connection?"

For a moment, nobody answered.

"We'll have to walk past it anyway," Techie said finally. Glass shattered somewhere above them, and a body dropped to the pavement. She and Eddie moved back. "It can't hurt to look."