We were back on the same street again and I noted that it was relatively quieter than yesterday when we visited this place at night.

Ironic, considering the fact that it's not like there's a sun overhead that showed what time it was anyway.

"So… Where would they sell the gardening stuff?"

Lea gave me an amused smile, "We don't actually need to look for a gardening store. Just a store that sells furniture or a hardware store would do. I will be able to make something with them."

I turned to her, "Umm… Not to sound ungrateful but… Could I ask why you are helping me with this? I thought this hydroponics thing was a secret to the Alvs that you're not meant to share?"

She turned to me, "That is true. This technology is a closely guarded secret amongst my people… But you already know about it from another universe anyway, don't you? What's more, you don't intend to spread this knowledge around, do you?"

"Of course not."

"Then I see no problem with it. And if I may be honest… I feel more at ease when there are plants around me."

I raised an eyebrow, "Wait a minute… Was that why you reacted so weirdly when you first came on my ship? You somehow also knew that Amber wasn't the captain of it as well."

She nodded, "I felt the presence of plants within your ship and… This may sound a little ridiculous but… I felt it on you as well. Which was why I knew she was not the captain of it."

That's cool, I guess this must be some kind of special trait that Alvs have.

"Hey, would that shop do?" Amber asked, rousing me from my thoughts.

I turned to see what she was referring to and found that there was a general store right ahead of us.

Lea nodded, "I believe we can find some of the things we need there, yes."

Nice, let's go take a look then.

As we got closer to the store, two large vehicles suddenly drove past us and parked themselves in front of the store, prompting mean looking and armed men to get out and head inside the store.

Huh… What are we going to get involved with this time?

What? Of course we're going there to take a look! It's not everyday we see a couple of gang members roll up to a store and walk inside a store like they were about to bust it down!

Lea turned to me in surprise when she realised I was still walking towards the store, "Eh? We're going there even after that?"

Amber grinned, "Hey, we're Mercs, remember? If those thugs are causing trouble, I wouldn't say no to putting them down and getting their bounties for it."

"But… There's at least a dozen of them over there! Are you really thinking of taking them on?"

"Please, we've had worse odds than that."

"But still… Unn… Nevermind, I suppose I should just do my best to support you if it comes down to it, Captain."

I smiled at her, "Well… I don't think it would be that serious but I'll be counting on you, Lea."

We stepped around the parked cars and were about to step inside the store when Amber's and my personal terminal let out a notification ping.

Both of us took them out at the same time and I tapped on the screen to display the message.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

'Ongoing store hold up at Bake's General Store. Open Hustle.'

Oh, it's been a while since we had an open job like that. Guess we're working today.

I'm more surprised that the guy managed to post a job while the thugs were inside and most likely threatening him as well.

I turned to Amber and nodded, both of us pulling out our guns at the same time which must have told Lea what we were planning to do since she also unslung her rifle from her back to hold it in her hands.

We then snuck inside the store, finding the thugs standing in front of the counter where an elderly man was cowering behind.

"I asked you a question, old man! And I would appreciate that you answer my fucking question! Where the fuck did you get your White Powder from?!"

Oh, I guess we know why they're here then.

"I… I already told you! I… I don't know! Some runner came in yesterday and sold me a few bags of them which I'm reselling! I didn't make them!"

"Nice try bud, you're telling me that you just so happen to get more than a dozen bags of White Powder out of nowhere? You're going to tell us where your source is or we're going to beat that out of you."

Err… I guess we're indirectly responsible for this guy getting his store held up huh?

"I'm telling the truth! I really don't know where they came from!"

"Ha! Did you think that a few hundred bags of White Powder would make their way out into the station without us knowing? We know your fucking store is a front for drug distribution so fucking spill it! Where are you making them?!"

"I'm really just a reseller! I don't know where they came from!"

"You had your fucking chance old man!"

He raised his hand that held a gun and I brought up my shotgun, intentionally aiming it at the thug's legs so that I won't accidentally shoot the old man by mistake.

I pulled the trigger, blasting off the thug's legs with my shotgun before following up with another shot to his chest when he fell to the floor..

Amber immediately followed up my shot by blasting her pistols in a flurry, shooting several of the thugs with accurate shots to their heads.

In just the first two seconds, six of the thugs were already on the floor.

The old man quickly ducked under the counter while the rest of the thugs quickly sought cover behind the shelves.

"Captain, please move away," Lea requested behind me.

I turned to see that she had lowered herself to sit on the ground with her left arm resting on her left knee, allowing her to use the crook of her elbow to support her rifle.

The gun was already making a low whine sound so I quickly stepped aside, moments before the gun fired a round that penetrated through a shelf and the three thugs behind it.

One of them tried to peek out from behind the shelf, only to see the end of my shotgun pointed straight at him.

The pellets from my shell blasted him in the face, sending him crashing into the counter.

Another tried to blind fire his pistol around the corner at us, scoring a few hits on me but my shield blocked the shots for me.

I heard another low whine before Lea's sniper fired another shot, penetrating through the cover and blasting the thug behind it apart.

"I'm going in~" Amber sang before leaping on top of a shelf and using it as a platform to launch herself over where the other thugs were hiding.

She spun around in mid air and pointed her pistols at the thugs hiding behind one of the shelves.

Two rounds were fired and two bodies hit the ground before Amber landed on her feet.

One of the thugs stood up on her right and tried to shoot at her but she snapped her arm up and shot him in the head without even looking at him.

"You fucking bitch!!"

Another thug popped out and brandished a ballistic rifle, firing a hail of bullets at Amber.

She flipped away from where she stood to avoid the bullets, firing a single shot at her shooter that would have nailed him in the head but a shield materialised to stop it.

I popped out from around the corner and levelled my shotgun at him, quickly firing two shots at him in quick succession.

The first shot was blocked by his shield but it also shattered it, letting my second shot eviscerate his torso with the pellets.

There were two thugs left, both of them deciding that it was a better idea to run away instead of staying and fighting.

Amber tried to shoot at both of them in the back but they also had shields that blocked her from finishing them off.

Neither of them even turned back and tried to run for the cars, both of them aiming to get into a different vehicle.

I switched my loaded shell to a shield buster with a slug round following right after it before running to the entrance to take aim at the one on the left.

I breathed out before pulling the trigger, the shield buster instantly shredding his shield before the slug round went through his back and exiting from the other side.

The last thug managed to get himself inside the car and started the car quickly before stepping on the pedal to drive away.

Well… I guess taking out all but one thug was also pretty good, all things considered.

That was when I heard a low whine from my side and I turned to see Lea taking aim at the car right before she took the shot.

I swivelled back to see the round penetrating through the back of the car to blast through the poor thug's head, causing him to swerve the vehicle and crash into the other thug's car.

Huh… She wasn't kidding when she said she knows how to use that gun…