The Freelancers

by OverHeart

Chapter 20 - Retail Therapy

Sunlight streamed in through the yellowed windows of the apartment, and Sheet Rock slowly came to when the morning sun finally met her weary, tired, eyes.

The faint sound of shuffling and the sound of a door slamming closed could be heard from the living room and she heaved herself to her hooves, staggering over the piles of laundry to her bedroom door to investigate.

With a groan of tiredness and a hangover the likes of which she had never felt until this day, she shoved open the door and a dark silhouette of a pony met her eyes. She could barely form words let alone a sentence, so she settled for a short guttural grunt.

Access turned to the staggering and sleep deprived mare. “Ah, sorry Sheet, hope I didn’t wake you. I was hoping these new legs were quieter.”

“Oh it’s you. You didn’t, just get over here a second.” she slurred.

Sheet Rock pulled Access toward her and into a hug. Emotions were running high and in her sleepy and drowsy state, planted a small peck on Access’ cheek much to his surprise.

“I didn’t realize you were that happy to see me, not that I’m complaining.” he said, attempting to hide his blush.

Sheet Rock flopped onto her lounger with a soft whump. “We’re all we got, Access, we can’t count on anyone else.”

Her slow, slurred, speech worried Access somewhat, and the strong smell of alcohol lingered heavily in the air. He kicked a few open cans away from Sheet’s lounger and gave her a worried look.

“Are you… drunk?”

She nodded slowly. “Maybe a little, I don’t even know anymore.”

“I think it’s more than a little. You’re going back to bed, right now.”

Access stepped toward Sheet’s lounger, and used his magic to drag her off the lounger and onto his back, where she protested and squirmed with what amounted to a childish tantrum.

“Stop squirming, you’ve clearly drank too much and you’re better off in bed.”

Sheet Rock fussed all the way to her bedroom, and she almost fell off of Access’ back a number of times before he gently tossed her back into bed and left her there. He turned around half expecting her to get up again and continue her protest, but she’d passed out sometime on the short walk from the living room to her bedroom.

“Now who’s the big idiot? You don’t make things very easy for yourself, do you?” he mumbled as he made his exit into the living room.

The vidscreen on the wall was switched on, Sheet Rock must’ve been watching something before she had drunk herself into a stupor, and normally he’d have joined her but someone had to stay sober and be the voice of reason.

It just had to be him this time around, and his punishment was watching hours of trashy vids until she was well enough to move.

---

A light tap at the front door snapped Access out of his mindless vid-watching stupor, and he craned his head to look at the source of the sound and sighed loudly.

“If that’s you, Star, you don’t need to knock. Just get in here.”

The door handle turned at it swung open, revealing a sheepish looking Starry Night, who despite multiple attempts and requests, wouldn’t look Access in the eye. Her bloodshot and red eyes made her look as if she hadn’t slept in weeks and she flopped down into a free seat.

“You look terrible, Star, whats wrong?”

It took a moment for her to muster the energy to speak. “I nearly got you killed and now Sheet probably hates me. Could today get any worse?”

“You did what you thought was the best course of action, I don’t blame you for that and Sheet probably doesn’t either. What’s important is that we all lived.”

“Where is she anyway? I could have sworn she was on her lounger not an hour ago.”

Access pointed to the unmistakable sound of loud, and rough, snoring. “In her room, she’s sleeping off one hell of a hangover.”

Star grimaced. “Did she do anything weird? Before you got back she was an inconsolable heap of tears.”

He shook his head. “Not really, no? I mean maybe, sort of.”

“She tried to kiss you didn’t she?” Star disclosed with a small smirk.

He nodded.

“Yeah she tried it on me as well, I think whatever she was drinking went to her head or something and maybe she got a bit carried away.”

He nodded again. “That’d be just like her, this isn’t the first time she’s drunk herself stupid.”

“There is the small matter of Grand Gala too. Do you think she’ll be a problem?”

Access sat back in his seat and stared up at the damp riddled ceiling. “For sure. Which is why I’m taking you to a place i know, get you equipped and maybe get you some training. Essential stuff, you know? If you’re gonna be around us you need to be properly prepared.“

“I suppose we don’t want to be caught with our pants down like that again. Do you have enough cash for that? Presumably we’ll be resupplying too?”

Access nodded. “While the proud side of me says we don’t need your money, fact of the matter is we won’t get very far if we don’t pool our resources. We need Guns, ammunition, equipment, tools and maybe a software upgrade for me and Snowy.”

Star looked up at Access, her face now one of determination and confidence. “I’ll do whatever it takes, I’m in it for the long run now and I can’t have any regrets.”

“That’s the spirit! Go get yourself and Snowy ready and we’ll head out. We can just let Sheet sleep off the hangover, she wont mind.”

---

Access poked his head into Sheet’s bedroom and made sure she was okay to sleep off her hangover, she waved him off with a groan and shake of her hoof before he went to join Star and Snowy who were waiting patiently outside the apartment building.

Star smirked as she watched Access close the apartment building door behind him and waved him over.

“What took you so long?” Snowy asked, inquisitively.

“Had to make sure Sheet didn’t drown in her own vomit. She’s fine, let’s make a move.”

Access gestured toward a road not far to the south, where a sickly array of lights could be seen. It was the sprawl’s equivalent of a market square, and you could find pretty much much everything there, whether it was legal or not. If you couldn’t find whatever you wanted there, you probably didn’t need it anyway.

As they drew closer, the sound of a lively marketplace could be heard intermingled with the sound of rock and techno music. An interesting combination when heard together, but it was strangely pleasant in a weird kind of way.

“Well, here we are. Best place to come to buy, sell or to cash in a favor bar none. Just don’t settle on the first deal, that's the mark of a sucker and you don’t want to get taken advantage of.”

Star let her concentration waver for a moment and she became increasingly aware of the looks she was getting from the other ponies, who sat about on various furnishings made from scrap wood and metal reclaimed from broken down vehicles. She felt intimidated by their side glaces but managed to keep her composure.

She tapped Access on the shoulder. “Is there a reason they’re all staring at me? Are we going to get jumped or something?”

“You’re a new face, better dressed than anyone here and you look like a corpo. Just be nice if you get spoken to and you’ll be fine.”

“Where are we headed first?”

Access stopped in what looked like an open air street food corner. Carts were set in a large circle which sold a vast number of quick, easy and mostly healthy dishes, all of which were incredibly cheap and smelt surprisingly appetizing despite their sickly appearance.

Opposite the street food vendors were the ramshackle brick and metal tower blocks repurposed as shopfronts and warehouses. Their destination was Ammo Can’s Weapon Emporium, its heavily fortified shopfront stuck out like a sore hoof among the other less than sturdy shopfronts that dotted the street.

“Well, I’d really like for you and Sheet to actually have a sidearm. How are you with a firearm by the way?” Access said absentmindedly.

Star tapped the ground with a hoof in embarrassment. “I don’t actually know how to use one, I’ve never had to know before.”

Access blinked in surprise and shook his head with a small smirk. “Of course you haven’t, it was silly of me to even ask. Just go along with whatever he suggests, he knows his stuff.”

Snowy piped up with a simulated cough. “If I might suggest something? Consider getting something concealable, miss. You’re the last pony any miscreants would suspect of carrying, so something that is easy to use and carry would be advantageous.”

Star nodded in agreement. “Can’t disagree with that.”

“Let’s get a move on then. Stand in the doorway with me and he’ll buzz us in, cause he’ll probably want to get a look at us first. See if we’re trouble, you know?”

“Ah, if that’s the case I fear we’ll be turned away.” Snowy commented dryly.