J.D. nodded quietly in acquiescence to their leader's instructions, and set about kicking the caked mud loose from his shoe treads.<strong>"Alright, well ... get a few slugs in for me, okay?"</strong>he called to Oscar, before setting off after Jane and Talpert to help them fortify their hideout.  When the pair reached the second-floor window Athena had indicated, they heard a very short, loud, high-pitched noise directly in front of them.  It was the combined sound of half a dozen pieces of furniture being dragged in front of the window at super-speed and positioned there to protect them, as per the orders they'd been given.  By the time they comprehended the source of the violent, brief sound, the work was already finished, and an unmasked Happy was leaning against the wall by the Doctor, catching his breath from his exertions.<br/><br/><strong>"I just don't get it, Doc,"</strong>he said to Jane.<strong>"Seems like all the others see sometimes is my age, instead of all the stuff I can do -- the ways I can help.  I mean, I know Athena's got reasons for everything, and I am kind of a lightweight compared to them, especially when it comes to bigger opponents, but ... I just can't help but feel like I'm being protected a little too much, you know?  <br/><br/>"Oh shut the hell up, you!"</strong>A few feet away, the PR flack had sprouted a grin while listening in on the others, and on Happy's mention of his frustrations, in particular.  The youth took the smile as mocking and responded negatively without giving Talpert any chance to explain himself.<strong>"You're not much help either, you know.  At least I know how to fight!"</strong>With the hammer pulled back and ready to fire, Talpert had let his arms drop again, so that his handgun was presently targeting his own toes.  The speedster decocked the weapon gingerly before roughly lifting the other's arms back up to point the gun out the window, toward the forest from which their enemies would soon emerge.<br/><br/>To Talpert:<strong>"Shoot <em>out</em> the window, okay?  Not inside it, for god's sake."</strong>Turning back to the Doctor and lowering his voice some:<strong>"Anyways ... Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.  Don't let on that I was griping, okay?  It's just pre-fight jitters, you know ... I'd better get in position."</strong><br/><br/>After a pause and a probing look into her eyes, J.D. moved up to her -- at normal-person speed, so as not to alarm her -- and planted a quick peck on her cheek.<strong>"'For luck!'"</strong>he quoted, glancing at her just like the movie princess had to the young adventurer.  The heavy weapon sat just as awkwardly in Jane's arms now as the borrowed blaster had in the princess's arms, "a long time ago ..."<br/><br/>Darting back outside in a blur, Happy didn't stick around long enough to see if she got the reference.  There wasn't time to explain if she hadn't, and either way, in front of Talpert, any further one-on-one conversation was sure to be awkward.<br/><br/>Instead, all of them turned their attention to the forest and the sounds of the battle that had just begun and would soon come thundering down upon them.