"Why the horse face?" Mitch asked, leaning on the bar counter across from Steelbeak.

"Didja see de tail on dat chick?" Asked Steelbeak.

"What -- the little blonde firecracker?" Mitch smirked. "How could you even look beyond that rack o'hers?" He paused, looking longingly at the unconscious gun moll. "Anyway, she's not really my type. Cute enough, I guess, but I prefer brunettes."

"You gonna make a move on 'er?" Steelbeak nodded toward the back of Gabriel's head.

Mitch chuckled. "Maybe when she's conscious. I'm not that desperate to go after a girl when she can't see straight."

Steelbeak promptly bristled, feeling offended by what Mitch unintentionally insinuated. He wasn't the type who would subscribe to the "I'll-take-what-I-can-get" system of dating, but for the blonde bombshell, he considered making an exception. "Yeah, well, I blew de deal wit' dat one before I even had de chance to seal it." Boy did it eat him alive, as if he needed more guilt over her.

Mitch frowned, having no idea how to console him. "Sorry, Agent Steelbeak. I gotta go tend my customers." He hustled out from behind the bar.

Steelbeak groaned, lowering his head and running his left hand over his comb once. He glanced up at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar. "Maybe some day she'll forgive me," he muttered.

The rooster in the reflection shook his head. "She wouldn't," it said. "Not even after 'ell freezes over."

He sighed. It was hard enough to get those eyes out of his head after that night. Now the memory was etched for another reason. The girl had no idea but if she wanted to extract her revenge on him, she already had without even trying.

"C'mon, Gabriel," said Steelbeak, hoisting her unconscious form over his shoulder. "I s'pose I should get you back to yer place." She stirred, sighing something under her half-conscious breath. Steelbeak thought Gabriel sounded content in her nonsensical musings.

Trying to decipher what she was saying, Steelbeak carried Gabriel to her apartment to leave her there to deal with the aftermath of her drinking competition by on her own. After all, he'd had enough to do with it; more than he even knew at the moment.

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