"Then there's a real danger with continuing this conversation. I wouldn't want to mar your record, and theless you know about m-- about m-me, the less you . . . know . . . me?" Tegwen found she couldn't maintain a straight face after what seemed like an awkward revelation.

"Okay, now yer just messin' with me," Gabriel said, smiling.

"You can't die! I don't wanna have to face Negadork by myself!" Megavolt whined. "You're the only one who seems brave enough to confront him."

Gabriel nodded. "So what's your relationship with plughead there, anyway?"

Tegwen turned to look at Megavolt. "What? Relationship? Oh, he's just myassociate." She lowered her voice for only Gabriel to hear, "I barely -- hardly -- uh -- even know the guy."

Gabriel threw back her head and laughed. She wasn't sure if it was the weird look on Tegwen's face, or her posture or the way she was having trouble expressing herself, but something struck her as terribly humorous. "You've got a much better associate than Ido, that's fer sure! And Megavolt, I think Negaduck's afraid of us. He -- he didn't even showup tonight."

"Yeah." Tegwen realized. "What's thedealwiththat? Why were you guyssthere? You and . . . and him."

"Him? Who, Metalmouth?" Gabriel snorted. "At the moment, I'm ready ta wring his neck, the bigfatjerk! We came from the otherhalf o' the bargain. It was supposed t'be this great idea, workin' with th-the Fearsome Five and gettin' that do-gooder Darkwing Duck. We put up a liiittle money, Negaduck took the bait, and we endup with three times the resources. Negaduck blewit on his end by not gettin' Darkwing to show up -- probably thereason Negs himself didn't bother to show. Then we all have our nice fun little get-together inthe jewelry store and you and Volts-for-brains over there take off like you saw a g-ghost. To top it off, my partner decides he just wants to go home and wallow in misery by himself, and that leaves me to buy myown drinks. What'sa deal withthat? Makes my evening pretty much a total loss, don'tchathink?"

"If not taking you out to the drink is theonly thing he didtoyou, count yerself lucky." Tegwen sighed, letting her anger out through her clenched fists.

"Okay, I said earlier, Teggers, you win this round." Gabriel dug into her pocket and pulled out a twenty. "The Broken Heart and Mad At Everything Award goes t' Tegwen."

"Yer paying?" Tegwen looked at her, startled. "Fer me? No one's paid for anything fer me fer since. . . Since I moved." Tegwen frowned.

"Well, then . . . people are dumb." Gabriel shrugged, hunching over the bar a little. "B'sides, it seems like we've have quite a few common things in common."

"Oh? Like what?" Asked Tegwen. The only thing she could think of was their mutual contempt for Steelbeak.

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