Reconnection

Reconnection

By: Michael A

Chapter: 2 - Disconnection

[Adventure][Alternate-Universe]

I paced around my room, a mental tirade filling my skull.

What the hell?! It's just a job... just a job... Damn it!!!

I turn around and smash my hooves into my table, the wooden legs giving way, smashing it to the floor. This wasn't usual for me, it never was. I always did the job, no hesitation, no regret, and no second thought. This one... This one was different. I knew why Buck wanted me to end them... but the reason seemed so... Cruel.

I pulled the splinters out of my hoof from my shattered table, winching slightly with each one. A thin trickle of blood rolled down my hoof, reminding me of what I had done. No!!!

I put my hooves to my head, trying to silence myself. It's just a job!!!

I sprung to my hooves, all thoughts pushed out of my mind, and headed into my room. I trotted past my bed, and opened my closet. I opened it, pushing away my hung-up close, and opened the hidden panel behind it. Various guns and weapons hung behind it, the main one being my tommy gun, on the side of said gun were the words: "Chicacolt Typewriter" etched into it's side.

I picked up the gun, feeling it's weight in my hooves. I looked over my weapon... Tool with extreme care. I always made sure to clean it, oil it, and make sure it was in perfect condition; a broken gun's only gonna get yourself killed, after all.

I picked up the weapon in my magic, and disassembled it. I had it specially made so it could be broken down and fit in an average briefcase. After all, can go walking around with this thing on my hip, especially in my line for work. Once the weapon was properly stowed, I picked up the case in my magic, and closed the compartment before making my way towards the door. Buck had given me the address of my... Targets, and said they should be home around this time of day...

301...304...there, 307! I thought as as I approached the door to apartment 307. I stopped in front of the door, paused for the briefest of moments, then knocked.

The room beyond was suddenly filled with the sounds of shuffling hooves and hushed whispers. After a moment of this, the call of a mare with a proper accent replied, "One moment, please!"

There was more shuffling, more hushed whispers, before the door opened, revealing a charcoal grey mare with a jet black mane. She looked a mess, seeming to have just woken up based on her hastily fixed bedhead. The mare took a moment to catch her breath, before answering, "Yes?"

I gave her a polite smile, giving a brief tip of my fedora towards the mare. "Good evening, ma'am. My name is Neon, and I am an affiliate of your... father. Mind if I come in? I have matters that need discussing."

She bit her lip, briefly looking inside. After a moment of brief contemplation, the mare turned back to face me. "Ummm...yes, I guess. I have a... friend over at the moment... do you wish to speak to me alone?"

I shook my head. Of course they would be together… this should make matters easier. "No need, miss, that will not be a problem."

She nodded. "Very well, then. Please, come in."

I trotted into the apartment as the mare stepped aside, allowing me access to the apartment beyond. The apartment was modest in most areas, only having a small kitchen and seemly one bedroom and bathroom. I would’ve expected… more, I guess? A grumble emitted from the bathroom trotted towards the area I assumed was the living room. I turned to Octavia, motioning with my head in the direction of the bathroom. "Your friend, I assume?"

She nodded. "Yes, she's a mess in the morning."

I let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I myself am not a morning person, either." Damn it, stop making friendly conversation. Distance is key. They aren't ponies, only the job.

Octavia lead me towards a decent sized couch, motioning for me to take a seat. I gave her another polite nod, before sitting. The charcoal grey mare made her way to the kitchen. “Would you like tea, Mr. Neon? Or anything to drink?”

I shook my head. “No, Miss, I’m fine.”

“Very well, then,” the mare replied, trotting from the kitchen with a steaming cup of her own tea balanced on her back. She stopped at an armchair that was opposite me, placed her tea on the armrest, then sat down, turning her gaze towards me. “Now, what is these ‘important matters’ that my father wishes for you to discuss with me?”

I sighed, deciding to get right this over with instead of procrastinating. My horn ignited with it’s magical glow, followed by the soft "click" of the front door's lock. The mare across from me cocked her head, looking at me with confusion.

No backing down now… I thought, shaking my head. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for this.” My horn lit up even brighter, and the mare in front of me was instantly surrounded in my magical aura. She squirmed, immediately trying to scream. She was silenced as I slapped a strip of tape over her muzzle.

In that moment, the bathroom door opened. A white mare with a spiked blue and white mane trotting out. "'Tavi, we need more..." Her voice died as she saw Octavia squirming in my magical grip, eyes wide with fear. The mare stood there for a second, staring at me. Her face changed almost instantly from confusion, to pure rage. She charged at me, her rage fueling her assault.

I easily dodged her charge, countering it by wrapping my hooves around her neck in a chokehold. I twisted, slamming her to the ground and pinning her hind legs with my own. My grip around her neck tightened, her eyes going wide as I squeezed. The mare restrained in my hooves thrashed the best she could, limbs flailing as she tried to escape my hold. Her fight continued until she suddenly stopped, her eyes closing as he limbs went limp. I let go of the mare, rolling her off of me. I stared at the mare on the ground for a second, before turning my gaze to Octavia, who was still suspended in my magical grip.

Tears flowed freely down the mare’s cheeks. Her cries muffled by the tape across her muzzle. She had stopped her protest against my magical grip, seeming to lose all fight. I opened my briefcase I’d walked in with, pulling out a long piece of rope. I levitated a chair from the kitchen table over to us, and lowered the mare in my grasp into the chair before binding her hooves to the chair with the rope.

The mare didn’t put up a fight, instead crying as hard as she could, staring at the mare on the ground. Once I was sure she was secure, I pulled over another chair and picked up the mare on the ground, lifting her up and tying her to the chair much in the same way as the other. Octavia looked puzzled at this, but didn’t stop her crying.

I took a moment to charge my horn, before casting a sound proofing spell around the room. Once I was sure that the room was completely sound proofed, I removed the tape around Octavia’s muzzle with my magic.

“You monster!” she screamed, her eyes still filled with still falling tears. “You killed her!!!”

I sighed before walking over to the white mare. I pressed my ear against her chest, relieved when I heard the soft ‘thumps’ of her beating heart. Thank god…

I turned to Octavia. “I did not kill your friend, only knocking her out.”

Octavia looked perplexed by this, but thankfully stopped crying. “Why, then? Why did you do this… what are you going to do? What is going on?!”

“I suppose I owe you at least an explanation. My name is infact Neon Lights, and I am a hit-pony hired by your father to kill the both of you.”

Octavia’s eyes went wide. “M-My father sent you?! Why?!”

“My job isn’t to know the ‘why’ of it, but your father did give me the brief explanation of it being because of your relationship with the mare next to you,” I said, motioning to the unconscious mare with a hoof. “Weather it be out of prejudice or not, that is the reason he gave me. And again, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” I lowered my head slightly, a look of sadness crossing my features for the briefest of moments.

“You… you don’t want to do this, do you?”

I jerked my head up to face the mare, surprised by her response. I took a moment to contemplate answering. “It does not matter if I want to do it or not. I was payed to do this job, and it is my duty of fufill my part of deal. Feeling are irrelevant.”

The mare looked at me, her expression seeming almost… empathetic. “It does matter. If you don’t want to do the job, then don’t!”

I shook my head. “It isn’t that simple…”

“How the hell is it not that simple?!” she screamed at me.

Once again, I was taken aback by the mare’s outbursts. “It just isn’t, okay?! It isn’t about you, or me! It’s only about the job!!!” I screamed at the mare, rage filling my body. “It’s never mattered about me, or you, or anypony!!! I have to do this, whether I like it or not.” I stomped off, pulling my gun out of my briefcase and assembling it as fast as I could, before pointing it at the mare’s head. She began to continue crying as the hardened steel pressed against her skull. I could hear her pleading, telling me not to do this. I blocked it out. I couldn’t hear her. I couldn’t hear anything. The only thing I could see was my gun, and my trigger. There wasn’t a life that was going to end after this, only the completion of my job.

I was suddenly pulled out of my mind as something slammed into my side, my magical grip on my gun imploding, causing it to fall to the ground. I snapped back to reality, noticing immediately that the white mare that I’d knocked out earlier had, in fact, woken up, and managed to free herself. She stood above me, rage filling her features as she began to throw punches at me. My head filled with pain as I felt some of the them connect before I could react. I pressed my back hooves against the mare’s stomach, throwing her off of me with a mighty buck. The white mare flew back from the force of my buck, hitting the far wall.

I sprung to my hooves, readying myself to fight the mare. To my surprise, she was already on her feet herself, my gun clasp in her own magical aura. My eyes went wide as I jumped behind the couch as bullets began to spew from the gun’s barrel. Hot lead tore threw the couch, barely missing my prone form. My mind reeled, trying to think of what to do. The bullets suddenly stopped flying, and I took the opportunity to jump out from behind the couch. To my surprise, the room was empty. I blinked, noticing the chair that held Octavia was empty. It took me a second to notice the open door before I sprung into action. I used my magic to take a knife from the kitchen, clamping it in my teeth before running threw the door. The brief sight of a white blur crossed my vision at the end of the hallway. I ran after the blur, following it down the hallway and down the stairs to the entrance to the building. I jumped threw the open doors of the apartment building, and was greeted to the site of many ponies milling around the streets beyond. I dropped the knife, trying to locate the mares that had just escaped.

It was no use, they were gone...

I don't know how long I sat at the steps to Buck Tower. It could've been hours, maybe even days, I didn't know. I watched as the pony's walked past me, oblivious to my existence. I kept hoping that, by chance, those two that got away would walk past, and I wouldn't have to face my boss empty hoofed. It wasn't that I was afraid of facing him, more of the fact that this was the first time I'd ever failed a job. I let myself get too attached to them...I should've just took the shot and be done with it. But no, I let the canary sing, and ended up with nothing by her song. Speaking of her song...it was bugging me. I kept thinking about what that mare had said, and I couldn't push it out of my head like usual.

I sighed, realizing that I'd procrastinated long enough, and it was time to face the music...face my boss. I got up on my hooves, straightening my shirt and hat before heading inside. I didn't bother to check in with the receptionist, instead just pressing the call button on the elevator. The mare looked like she was about to protest, but shrank away from my death glare.

The door opened, and I mumbled, "Buck's office." Luckily, the elevator operator understood what I said, closing the doors as the elevator started to ascend.

I kept my mind blank throughout the short trip up the elevator. When the doors opened, I stared at the office in front of me, contemplating turning back, but i pushed that thought into the back of my mind as is trotted into the office. The office hadn't changed since my last visit, Buck even being in the same position behind his desk, staring at the city beyond his window.

I get only a few steps into his office before I hear him speak, "My sources tell me that you've failed me..."

I bow my head slightly. "Sorry, boss..."

Buck's large chair swivels so he faces me, his face filled with disappointment. "You have been perfect: never messing up once... Until now. Normally, I wouldn't care as much, either giving you another chance, or sending someone better. But, sadly, you are the best I have... And I can't have this messed up again. Something was different this time, something happened." He leans forwards in his chair, tilting his head slightly. "So, what happened; why did you fail me?"

Shit... What do I tell him? I thought, my mind racing to think of an answer. My thoughts are interrupted, however, when I hear buck let out a loud sigh.

"You're taking your time to answer. You're either trying to think up a lie, or trying to crop the truth. So...I'm gonna give you three seconds to answer me before I get angry," he said, his voice filled with finality.

"One."

Shit!

"Two."

What do I say?!

"Three!!"

"I don't know!" I blurt out, instantly regretting it, but not showing it. "Boss, I don't know what happened. I had them tied up, a gun against their heads... But, one escaped, pulling my own gun on me. I...I just balked. I let them have enough time to react..."

"So...you balked?" I nodded. "Very well... I feared you'd turned, but I can see it in your eyes; you speak the truth." He put his hooves to his temples, massaging them lightly. "You've put me in quite a pickle, my friend. Usually, I'd make an example of you for failing me... But, then again, you have served me well in the past without falter." He removed his hooves from his temples, and then staring at me with a quizzical look. "Is it best to end the life of one dying of sickness, or watch as they slowly descend? You, my friend, have the sickness... I'll give you a day before I end your sickness, for the sake of all that you have done."

No...this can't be happening... "Boss, there has to be another way. I...I could try and again, and not fail!"

He shook his head. "As I told you the other day: this city is a machine. And, sadly, you have become a part of it that needs replacing. Now go, enjoy the today and tomorrow, because after that you'll be considered my enemy, and you are all too familiar about what I do to them..."

I nodded, using all of my willpower to not throw myself at his knees and beg for another chance. But, knowing buck, it would only make things worse. "I... I'm gonna go now..." I said, turning around and heading towards golden elevator.

Before the elevator descended, I heard buck call out, "It's not personal; just business!!!"

I was a dead pony, and like most dead ponies, I decided to mourn my impending death over the sweet embrace of alcohol. I downed another glass, pushing it toward the quickly growing pile on the bar counter in front of me. I'd left buck's tower... Celestia knows how long ago, and made my way immediately towards Shot Glass's bar. The bartender had seen my expression the moment I walked into the bar, and already had a glass of his strongest whiskey poured before I even sat down. I didn't speak to him, only nodding to him every time I needed a refill.

I don't know how long I'd drank out my sorrows, but I couldn't see straight and the floor seemed to be moving, so I figured that it had to be a lot. I wanted to get up and leave, but my body was having a hard time complying. Shot Glass trotted over my drunken form, looking at me the entire time with a saddened expression. With my mind utterly trashed by the large about of alcohol pumping through my veins, I finally managed to make contact with the bartender. I say 'contact' only because the slur of sounds coming out of my mouth could be hard pressed to be considered words, but the bartender seemed to have enough experience with talking to drunk ponies to understand me... For the most part.

"Glass... I... I have a problem," I mumbled, not managing to move my head from the counter. "I... I got fired from my job, and my boss is going to literally going to have me killed the day after tomorrow."

Glass... Well, he did his best to hide his look of fear and pity as he visually shuttered. He took a moment to think, probably contemplating trying to converse with me in my drunken state. He didn't get the chance, however, as I continued my rant. "Yup, I'm a dead pony. And the best part, the ponies that caused this are probably going to die as well... And I absolutely feel like shit about it!!!" I lifted my head, trying to look straight at the bartender. I think I was actually looking at the wall, but I couldn't really tell—everything just kinda blurred together. "Why should I care that the two who ruined my life are going to die? I mean, it doesn’t even make any sense!!!”

Glass looked at me with pity in his eyes while he gently tapped a hoof comfortingly on my shoulder. “It means that you have a heart, my friend. And I think that the fact you realized it was what caused this whole mess.” I gave his a questionable--well, I was going for questionable, but drunk brain doesn’t want to comply--look as I lifted my head to face him. “I mean… I don’t know. You confuse the hell out of me. You go out of your way to save my bar, putting yourself in danger for no reason but because it was the right thing to do. Then you go out and kill ponies for money. Honestly, I think either you’re heart, or brain, is broken.”

"Well, my brain is full of drunk at the minute, so please ask sober brain for an answer..." I mumbled.

Glass rolled his eyes. "Are you just gonna give up? Because that isn't the Neon I know. The Neon I know would go down fighting!" he finished, slamming his hooves onto the table for emphasis.

I groaned. "What's the point?! I mean, I got the most powerful stallion in the city wanting me dead..." I sighed. "I'm screwed..."

"Damn it, Neon!" he screamed, pushing my off my stool. I fell off, landing in a drunken heap. "I'm not gonna stand here and watch you drink yourself away! I'm not giving you another drink until you promise me that you ain't gonna go lying down!"

Celestia, damn it! Doesn't he understand I just wanna forget everything before I die?! Whatever, I'm too drunk to argue with myself. "Fine! I'll put up a fight, if it makes you happy!" I said from the floor.

Glass rolled his eyes. "Prove it, and then I'll give you drinks for free for the rest of your life."

Hmm... I'm listening... "And how would I go about that?"

Shot Glass smirked. He trotted from the back of the bar over to the far wall. He put his hoof to it, before a soft "click" could be heard, and the door opened. Two familiar mare's fell out, landing in a pile on the floor. They quickly got to their hooves, and game me a death glare.

I chuckled. "You think I'm gonna finish the job while this drunk?!" I said, ending in a hiccupy laugh.

"No," the stallion began. "I want you to protect them."

Is stopped laughing. "You want me to what now?!"