The First Rule

The circle, as it was called, was more like a clearing where the crowd of men had circled around, within, the two women stood but a short five feet away from their combatants. Two burly, shirtless men, standing proud of every bruise, scare and scrape that showed the damage of countless other battles they've faced down in the circles here.

Between the pairs, a smaller navi with a black eye stepped up and raised his arm. Giving each side a grin, while murmurs and whispers of first timers, and first women to be allowed in. So needless to say the two of them were causing quite the rumors and whispers.

"Right, so you know the rules, fight stops when the others give up, or are knocked out. Ready?" Getting ready, the navi in the center of the ring stepped back, and dropped his arm quickly, signaling—

BOOOM!!!

Smoke and dust suddenly filled the air and darkened vision as part of the wall was blown open, and from it a rush of footsteps could be heard. While shouts of confusion erupted from the occupants, more so as they quickly realized they couldn't jack-out of the network! Only adding to this confusion was the sudden appearance of dozens of navis, each armed with their blaster seemed to pop up one after the other. Surrounding the entire basement edges with red and blue officer uniformed navis, almost like they were appearing from thin air.

From the destroyed wall, shouts from a megaphone could be heard as yet another navi stepped forward. "No body move! This is the NetPolice, you are surrounded. A jack-out barrier is already in place, there is no escape! Put your hands up, and surrender peacefully, this illegal operation ends today!"

Dust and smoke would soon begin to settle, as more and more police officer navis started to enter through the destroyed wall. More than enough to outnumber the current brutes, some of whom tried to resist. Throwing fists and claws at the security force, who retaliated with their own, far superior stun weapons. Others gave up peacefully and were being escorted out to awaiting vans outside to cart them all way.

With the dust settled, the girls could make out poor little Slies, already in cuffs being led out, along with Ryan, who was being dragged out by three officers that had resorted to knocking him out to stop his attempts at escape.

Stepping forward, the obvious leader of the group finally stood before the two girls, her own uniform kept perfect and crisp of sharp navy blue, decorated in golden shoulder guards and metals that displayed her rank. Though the true draw to the eye was the badge that rested atop left breast that marked her as a member of the NP. "Ladies? In a fight club, well now I do believe I've seen everything. Explain yourselves."
"Well, I've got quite a history of tussles and brouhaha. You are correct, I make my assertions so boldly due to confidence that I will prevail, should we come to blows," Sleuth answered, seeming pleased that Mata was willing to lend her at least that benefit of the doubt. "However, every time I receive a new client operator, I dump my old stash of weaponry, so... you understand, right? Isn't it best to triumph against great odds with few weapons at your disposal?" she laughed, pressing her fists to her wide hips as she revealed that she didn't really have the kind of ordinance one ought to bring for a situation so dangerous. "At any rate, I believe that these things have a way of working out-"

And so they did, as the entire operation (not to mention the building's walls) crashed apart around the two. "... My, I do hope that we may never chance acquaintance with any of those muscular fellows again... they might have the perhaps well-founded notion that we led the net's finest straight to their doorstep..." Sleuth sighed, raising both hands to show innocence. "But that's the NP. All good intentions, no finesse."

As the presumed commander spoke out to them, Sleuth grinned, but kept her hands up. "Well, are you now not also a damsel in a fight club?" she questioned, waggling her raised cane/magnifying lens in the woman's direction. "No, I suppose not. Your men have broken this place beyond recognition; it is no longer a club for anyone."

She actually felt sympathetic towards Slies now; what a mess, what a mess. Still, she smiled and avoided eye contact with him. She didn't want things getting more complicated than they already were. "So? What brings you chaps here? You'll pardon me, I hope; this is one of those cases where the police and I brush by each other without either employing the other. Still, I am the snooping sort! Tell me, please: what is illegal about this fighting ring? Furthermore,what is so illegal that the NetPolice would risk the ill consequences of the Mafia pioneered jackout barrier technology, which could permanently erase navis without proper use? If you had come in a moment later and, God forbid, I was being reduced to bangers and mash by some swarthy fellow, you would have erased me without even realizing it!"

Sleuth had no great love for the police. Well, a few of them were okay: smart, cooperative, mindful of the bigger service to mankind, careful with their feet so as to avoid stepping on crucial evidence... Most, in her "humble" opinion, fell short of these qualifiers. All police were assumed incompetent by her until proven otherwise.
Mata's fists gave off small electrical sparks as she tightened her grip, carefully eyeing the two men standing before her and Sleuth. "First strike will determine this fight!" she thought to herself. But before she could make her move, the unexpected occurred as the fight club was destroyed in a blink of an eye...And that's all that Mata seemed to do, standing still in awe while doing nothing but blinking her eyes.

Mata was at least able to make out the NetPolice part from Sleuth before one of them made an approach, fixing her self up by bushing off the dusts off her shoulders and putting her golden shades back on. But before she could even finish these small tasks, her partner had already gone on and put themselves in a bad spotlight for the NetPolice officer with her "annoying" rambling. "O-Officer!" Mata screamed in order to get the officer's attention. "I apologize for all this confusion, and please, ignore whatever she said for now." A spy has their own honor and codes and whatever fancy terms you may use, but Mata learned that there are times that one needs to suck up to the higher people in order to stay out of deeper trouble...She learned this the harsh way due to her operator's antics.

"My name is Mata.EXE, and this is my partner Sleuth.EXE. We were both assigned a mission to find out more about the fight club we were suppose to participate in." The spy continued as she showed a holo-screen of the mission detail from GNA. "We didn't think this operation would be so serious...In fact, we barely scratched the surface before the police came to picture." Mata tried to keep a calm composure, but all the while she kept her sight dead-locked onto Sleuth, hoping that she didn't make things any worse than it can...
Listening calmly as Sleuth seemed to be giving her a bit of the business, the commanding officer simply shook her head and scowled at the slight mocking tones and comments; choosing it best to simply ignore them. "Simply put, we received reports of two women being led into a dark alley by a suspicious looking character. While we've known about this club and it's goings on for months now, we had no proof for just cause to break it up. At least until the two of you showed up. Possible kidnapping and abduction gave us all the clearance we needed to clean this filth up once and for all. For that I do commend the two of you. "

She might have said more, or pointed out a few things that Sleuth had mentioned that she probably shouldn't say to the face of an officer, but thankfully Mata spoke up and caught the officer's attention with some proper introductions and explanations. "Huh, brief, to the point, informative. Ever think about working for the NetPolice Miss Mata? Well regardless, the NP thanks you both for your assistance in dealing with this minor threat to public safety. I'll be sure to send word ahead, so you are both free to go and contact the GNA to report your success."

Pausing, the woman glanced back towards Sleuth before glancing back over to Mata who seemed to have the better head on her shoulders. "That will be all ladies, I suggest you leave quickly or we may think you were part of this and take you in for questioning. Though I'd keep yourselves available should we have any further questions for the two of you. Now, if you will excuse me." With that, she gave, if perhaps a half-hearted salute, and turned to promptly walk away and start barking out orders to the dozens of officers and men and women in uniform who were escorting cuffed suspects outside to the awaiting vans to be hauled off.
"Well, I would hate to be brought in on false charges like our good gentleman's club here. Toodlehoo and cheerio, ma'am!" Sleuth responded, tapping her cane over her shoulders and smiling as the police officer walked off. She turned to Mata and leaned forward, then pulled her cane around her friend's shoulder and tapped her on the back. "Let us retreat, away from the officer and her shiny brass buttons."

Once she'd managed to get free from the scene of the wreckage, Sleuth let her jaw drop into a slack, unbelieving expression (still smiling). Using her left hand, she mimicked placing a gun to her head and pulling the trigger, then stuck her tongue out. After giving all of that a second to sink in, she regained her composure and leaned on her cane. "Folderoll! The simplest sort of nonsense!" she scoffed. "I can scarcely bring myself to turn a blind eye to such foolishness!"

"Do you understand what just happened?" she asked, keeping her smile but sounding more overtly spiteful. "They charged the club and ordered arrests for 'suspected abduction.' Did you see any kidnapping in that club? No, I dare say Slies and the big chap, Ryan, were both very happy to be there. Were we kidnapped? We did everything short of begging Slies to take us there! There was no 'kidnapping,' save the one that officer or some combination of conspirators devised! Either motivated by ambition, deviousness, paranoia... or good old-fashioned police chowder-brainedness."

"I dare say..." she muttered, her face dark in the alleyway and her eyes shining, darting back and forth rapidly. Her smile brightened. "A case! What was the motivation for tonight's ill-warranted fight club bust? Oh, isn't it thrilling, my good friend? If only I could be paid for it, I would start a new investigation post-haste! Simply thinking of it shall keep my boredom at bay, and that, my companion, is worth more than any monetary reward~"
Mata let out a relieved sigh as she watched the police draw away from the club, leaving herself and Sleuth alone in the ravaged basement. "That was...easier than I thought?" The police seemed too easy to be persuaded to leave the two navis alone, especially seeing how they were "victims" of a kidnapping and most likely needed to be escorted out for safety, even if the two was undergoing a mission. Nipping at her chin between her thumb and her index finger, the spy tried to think this through, but it wasn't before Sleuth called her to get out from the trashed hole. "...No point in staying here, I guess. Lead the way."

But as soon as they left place, Sleuth was jumping up and down with excitement (at least, from what Mata was seeing) and rambled on about how strange the police was acting. "So you noticed it too?!" Mata replied with a smile while pointing towards Sleuth. "There's definitely something going on here, it really feels like an actual conspira-...cy..." She quickly clasped her own mouth with both hands, frantically looking side to side to see if anyone else has heard what she said. Mata couldn't believe she said those words with actual excitement in her tone, and worst of all, she would not hear the end of it if Oliver had heard what she had said.

...After a few seconds of awkward silence, she slowly dropped her hands but was still overly cautious. "A-As much as I hate this, the curiosity is killing me." Mata needlessly whispered. "Lets go find out what those polices are going for, so help me God, I'll find an actual, real conspiracy going on."
Sleuth looked momentarily dumbfounded, then grinned and embraced Mata in a strong, overly familiar hug, smushing her oversized breasts shamelessly into her partner's face. "Brilliant! Capital, as it were!" she exclaimed, then released Mata and leaned on her cane. "Here I was, spelling things out to my own satisfaction while you understood them so plainly yourself! You and Mr. Oliver are both such riveting companions."

"Yes, I believe we're on the right track," she nodded. She then raised one gloved finger and set a stern expression, so quickly changing her face that she could only be joking. She was; her face settled back into a smile. "But we must use tact! I dare say our police friends have done either some dirty or ill informed business here, but I also dare say that they may do the same to us if we obstruct them... and I believe I made clear earlier that I am actually ill-prepared for such an encounter, despite any boasts I may make!"

"I wish I had fostered relations with some of the good officers, but sadly, I'm often seen as more trouble than I'm worth. Perhaps I am! That said, I believe this is our best opportunity: let us find the name of the woman officer, hm? The GNA will likely provide it. We can then take missions with other NP officers who are less familiar with us and question them as we proceed! I think it will be a bit safer and perhaps even a richer well. If she is incompetent, we will learn that immediately. If she is dirty, we will learn that through more subtle clues. The hard part will be if we learn that she's actually good! Then we are either fools or have a different culprit on our hands."

"Dear friend, you have no idea how much your open-mindedness and cooperation means to me in this matter!" she laughed again, very genuine. "Shall we go thrill ourselves with another mission, garnished with just a hint of detective's fancy?"
"Mmmfhhmfh!"

Mata was embraced by Sleuth's accepting bossom without warning, nearly choking her as she tried to push her away. Thankfully, she was released quickly, but the spy's face was already glowing red as she tried to catch her breath. "W-what is she trying to imply!" Mata thought to herself as she slowly covered her own (smaller) chest with her arms. "That really ticks me off!"

Despite the jealous rage towards Sleuth, the spy tried to keep a calm composure as they continued with the conversation. "I guess you have a point. Finding out more about that female officer would be the best chance of knowing more of what happened...As they say, corruption starts at the top, I'm sure the other officers that were there with us wouldn't have a good idea what happened." As she continued, Mata tapped the endpiece of her shade as multiple digital screens appeared within the lenses. With one more tap, a screen showed a picture of the officer they met in clear quality. "Good thing the camera is always running. I got the picture of the lady, so we can start with that."

Mata nodded her head to accept Sleuth's proposal, but gave off a rather pompous smile ontop of it. "A detective's fancy? I think a bit of a spy's charm would do the trick too!" With a quick thumbs up, Mata jacked out of the net in a flash of golden light...But quickly returned only seconds after. "Umm...You can contact me here. I'll turn in the mission we are currently in, you can request a new one." Sending over a short message containing her email address and the picture of the officer, Mata left the net once more...In a less cooler way then before.
Sleuth nodded along with Mata, then waved as the little navi disappeared. Then reappeared. Then disappeared. "And what a charming spy she is..." Sleuth chuckled to herself, placing her hands at her hips. "Jocelyn, I'll be leaving now! Onward, to our next exciting case!"

"... Zzzz"

"Jocelyn!? How did you fall asleep? I thought you were giving Mr. Oliver a tour of the mall?" Sleuth exclaimed. It looked like the screen looking out was still moving, implying Jocelyn herself was. Did this mean that she was sleepwalking...?

"Oh, I just set my segway on cruise for a bit... It's really quite comfy," Jocelyn yawned, stretching her arms above her head in a motion that threatened to lift her pajama shirt past the point of decency.

"Cripes, you spoiled the mystery for me! I guess it wasn't much of a mystery to begin with, though, so I'll let you off the hook this time," Sleuth sighed, tapping her cane up and down on her shoulder. "Well, please, let's jack out now." And so she did.
(Mata & Sleuth: 23 FXP)