//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 - Ground Zero - Part Three // Story: The Freelancers // by OverHeart //------------------------------// The crew watched as the stallion jumped into the tunnels below street level, and quickly got their gear together, leaving ample time for the stallion to get some distance on them so they could follow without being spotted. This assumed the stallion didn’t know they were already there. They had no idea about the capabilities of the armor he wore, but it looked sufficiently advanced enough to have some hidden tricks. The crew leapt into action, and rapidly exited the van and approached the tunnel entrance. Star jumped down first into the depths, followed by Snowy and then Access and Sheet Rock. They could hear the stallion’s hoofsteps up ahead, and unlike them, he didn’t seem to feel like he should rush about. However, the stallion stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around to look down the tunnel behind him which made the crew dive behind some damp water pipes for cover. “I’m sure I know that logo on his flank. It looks so familiar.” Star whispered. “Where have I seen it?” “Well can you hurry the buck up and remember, we need to know if this guy is gonna frag us or not.” Sheet Rock said, resisting the urge to shout. “Judging from his body language, he doesn’t appear to have hostile intentions.” Snowy remarked. The stallion turn back around and walked on until he reached the hideout’s door, which laid in a shallow water channel just opposite, and after a quick look down some adjacent tunnels, he peered inside and vanished from view. Access signaled his comrades to stay low to the ground and approach the door quietly. He and Sheet Rock took up positions on the edge of the door closest to them, with Star and Snowy close behind, weapons clutched in their harnesses. He raised his hoof, and on the count of three, they were to storm in and hold the stallion at gunpoint. It didn’t matter how well armed or protected he was, he didn’t stand a chance against the four of them combined. “Now!” They all stormed through the door and took whatever cover they could find among the utterly destroyed furnishings and low walls within the hideout, leveling their weapons at the invader. It was hard to tell if he was caught off guard or not, but the stallion lit his horn and assumed a battle stance in response to their aggression. Access fired off a few shots at the stallion’s head, but they bounced off a barrier the stallion projected from his horn, and were sent into the concrete behind him. Sheet Rock and Star popped out from behind a ruined desk and laid down a few shots of their own, but their rounds once again bounced off the stallion’s barrier. Small arms fire wasn’t about to punch through, luckily Snowy had his anti-material rifle readied. “Let me deal with this!” Snowy called. The stallion stood his ground, even as Snowy pointed his rifle at him. A thunderous crack resounded throughout the cavernous space and the round rocketed toward the stallion, but this time he couldn’t block the shot and his barrier shattered into glass-like shards all around him. “Hold your damned fire, you crazy buckers.” he cried, diving behind a concrete pillar. “I’ve been sent here to find you!” “Oh yeah? Sent by who? We don’t tend to trust ponies who hide their faces or rock up unannounced!” Access bellowed. The stallion popped out from cover and let off a blast of concussive force from his horn, sending the broken remains of much of the hideout’s furnishings toward the crew, where it smashed into the walls behind them, partially covering them in the broken remains. “Hear me out, you’ll want to hear what I have to say!” he shouted back. “You’re in grave danger!” The crew looked very concerned and considered their options. Their hideout was compromised, friends captured, and all their assets stolen. Their only options now would be to fight this stallion and see if they can pull anything from him, or take the risk and hear him out. “Alright, but you’re gonna stand in the open, no weapons, no magic, right where we can see you.” “Very well.” the stallion called back. “Holster your weapons for me, would you?” He went and stood in the middle of the room rigidly as instructed, though he didn’t expect the others to do the same, and as he thought, they remained behind cover for their own safety with their weapons pointed at their ‘captive’. “Now if you’re done destroying what’s left of your sanctuary, we should talk.” “First thing’s first though, who are you?” Star ordered. “How do you know who we are?” “Serial number MU-4844, Code name ‘Matterhorn’” the stallion responded robotically. “My employers have been keeping tabs on you for some time, actually.” “What are our names then, smart guy?” Access mocked. “If you’ve done your homework, I might just believe that.” “For a start, you’re Access Granted. Son of a Netwatch agent who went rogue, you never forgave him for that. Did you?” he began. “Your friend there is Sheet Rock, daughter of a tech startup CEO. She could’ve been rich but she threw it all away to take care of you.” Access growled as he considered putting a bullet in the stallion’s head, but a sharp glare from Star gave him pause. “Matterhorn, do you know the name ‘Rain Noir’?” He nodded. “Of course, Miss Starry Night. I work very closely with your father indeed.” “Humph.” she grumbled. “I recognize the uniform, and that programmed response of yours. You have to be one of my fathers pet projects that he spoke so much about.” “Then you’ll believe me when I say that I’m telling you the truth.” he said happily. “Needless to say though, you’re all in danger so we should wrap up this conversation as soon as possible.” “Whoever is after us already took two of our own, you didn’t think to come sooner? With your help we could’ve easily overpowered them AND taught them a lesson!” “My mission concerned you, not them.” Matterhorn grumbled. “You can put your complaints to the director when we arrive back at base. She is eager to meet you all, but I must stress that you are to be on your best behavior.” “We’ll be good as gold, I assure you.” Sheet Rock promised. “What’s the plan, assuming you have one?” “We need to get to a specific warehouse in the outer districts, from there a Cargo VTOL will collect us and your vehicle.” Matterhorn stated. “I don’t expect trouble, but we should assume any hostiles that snatched your friends are still around somewhere, so be vigilant.” “Famous last words.” Sheet Rock chuckled. “We haven’t exactly had the best of luck recently.” “I’m here precisely for that reason. We didn’t sent anymore agents because you don’t need any more than one of us for a retrieval job.“ “Try not to blow your own trumpet too much, yeah? Boasting can get you killed.” Matterhorn chuckled. “Noted.”