SOUNDMAN INSIDE, LOL.

Soundman grinned, and started quietly, cautiously making his way towards the sounds.

He may have heard something... but that Kunoichi was rather tricky. It could still be a trap...

When he poked his head around the corner, Soundman saw the raccoon, carrying recovery chip data, scurry towards the kunoichi Navi... Who seemed to be propped against the side of a databank, as if resting. A closer look, however, revealed that her jaw was clenched, and she was pinned there with a BambooKnife stabbed through her shoulder. At a guess, her HP reading of 1 would be the reason why she didn't simply pull the knife out of her shoulder, stand up and walk away.

Assuming she could, as she appeared to be in very bad condition. It was no consolation that 'the other guy' lay a cross the alley from her (yet another HeelNavi) in the process of deletion.

The raccoon made it's way from the defeated Heel Navi to it's master, carrying the oh so shiny data in it's mouth... Her eyes did not track the raccoon's movements, instead her hand simply lay there on the ground, open, palm-up, waiting for it to bring her... something.

-----------
Summary
-----------

---Allies---
Soundman: 140 (70HP Barrier) [Restez Disabled]
Wiz: ??? (MIA)

---Unknown---
Kunoichi(?): 1 HP [Pinned by BambooKnife, Blind]

---Enemies---
HeelNaviA: Deleted
HeelNaviB: Iced
HeelNaviC: 160 HP {Equip: RageClaw} (Too far back to do much.)
HeelNaviD: 95 HP (Fleeing.)
HeelNaviE: Blown up.
HeelNaviF: 50 HP (Wishing he'd never seen Soundman.) [Stunned, Floored]
HeelNaviG: Also blown up.
HeelNaviH: God only knows what....
HeelNaviI: PA'd
HeelNaviJ: PA'd
HeelNaviK: Deleted
HeelNaviL: Very Dead

Soundman quickly looked over the situation. She was wounded, yes, from the readout she was blind... he didn't want to spook her, but at this point he probably didn't want to risk her getting away...

So Soundman did the only thing he could do, really, to get all of these problems out of the way. He held up a hand- and fired a small wave of sound at the small Raccoon.

1: Buster attack @ Raccoon (2 damage)

The buster shot nails the raccoon, which disappears in a puff of smoke. The data it was carrying fell to the ground and broke instantly. The Navi's unpinned shoulder tensed as she flipped her hand over, and balled it into a fist. She didn't reach for a weapon, or perform one of her insane tricks... she just sat there.

It would appear the trickster was out of options.

"You know, I could have a whole 'good cop bad cop' setup with me and my operator, but I think I'll be brief." Soundman said, tone neutral. "Why, exactly, are you in my operator's computer? Why are those guys after you? And most importantly..."

Soundman's tone grew a bit more serious, finally voicing recognition as to what his display had read all this time, "Where is Wiz?"

She sighed, or at last started to before the knife pinning her to the wall stopped her. She inhaled, carefully, and began speaking calmly "I am a mercenary. My Op signed me up for a mission that paid very well. We'll skip the petty details, but... that's why I'm here." She grimaced, paused for a moment, then continued, not even a hint of apology in her voice "Obviously, it was a farce. That's why the HeelNavis are wall-to-wall and tree-top-tall, in case you hadn't noticed." She stopped talking again for about half a minute before answering his last question with "If he was a HeelNavi, then just shoot me. He's not coming back. Still..." She paused again "You don't sound like a HeelNavi, though.... You sound like that walking stereo system I ran into earlier." She chuckled in memory, but declined to continue speaking for the moment. Instead, she propped herself up, trying to reduce the pressure on the blade stuck through her shoulder.

Soundman couldn't help but smile at the nickname. "Soundman.exe, at your service." He chuckled slightly, then continued. "No, I'm not a heelnavi, and neither is Wiz-- if anything, we're Netpolice agents." Soundman paused, considering the e-mail Trenn had received and the kunoichi's words. "Though considering that you're a mercenary, you might like that even less." Soundman frowned for a moment, seeming deep in thought. "You don't seem like a bad person, honestly." Soundman said simply.

As if on cue, the plucky, echoing sounds of an acoustic guitar began to play out of Soundman's speakers, followed by a harp which joined in harmoniously. Finally, as the piece truly began with a third instrument, namely a grand piano joining in, sheet music slowly seemed to pour out of Soundman's various speakers (Minus the Subwoofer backpack), only to flow into the wounded navi, slowly healing her.

"Wiz.exe was my 'brother'; another navi that was coded by my Operator, and stored, in part, on this computer." Soundman explained while the music continued. "Ever since I jacked in I've been unable to get a bead on his position... which is why I thought to ask you, seeing as how you were the only navi in here who didn't seem entirely evil or intent on killing me."

2: Healing Serenade (60 Heal @ Kunoichi)

"I see..." Her voice trailed off. She reached up with her right hand, grasped the hilt of the BambooKnife, and hesitated while clenching her teeth. "I really don't want to do thiiiissss..." She yanked the weapon out of her shoulder... "tssssshhhh..." She hissed, not wanting to scream or shout. She also dropped the weapon, but made no effort to pick it up again. A moment later, she sagged towards the ground, obviously glad to be rid of that trouble.

She remained this way for another half a minute before resuming her conversation with Soundman. "I ran into another custom Navi just after I entered this PC. I'll assume that's who you meant." She set her miniature cross bow down, slowly, carefully... it was obvious she was not about to make any sudden moves. She then reached into a hip pouch on her left side. "That Navi is most likely comatose at this moment, right where I left him. I was hired to steal something from him..." She rummaged about for a second with her left hand, then drew out a large coin and held it out for Soundman to see... "...and this is it. Would this be his Emblem?"

She was holding his Navi Emblem, and the solid signal coming from it proved it....


-----------
Summary
-----------

---Allies---
Soundman: 140 (70HP Barrier) [Restez Disabled]
Wiz: 0 (Emblem taken) [Not dead?]

---Unknown---
Kunoichi(?): 21 HP (Blind) [Holding Wiz.EXE's Navi Emblem] {Unarmed}

Trenn's sudden, urgent shouting in Soundman's ear, while entirely unneeded as he knew it was Wiz's emblem, did prove this point more than anything else could have. "...Yes, that's it exactly." Soundman considered simply attempting to grab it- but he felt that there was a certain level of trust here. He'd wait for her response.

"Then I propose a trade..." She began "My former employer has obviously breached our contract. Not to mention this whole 'mission' is just plain bogus. So..." She waved the coin to indicate it. "...You can have this back, if you let me walk out of here once my sight returns. Restoring your brother would be a simple matter of putting this back in it's socket and playing your healing tune for him." She paused, then continued "The catch is, while you could just take this from me now, you would be searching for long, long time trying to find him. I don't think I'm asking too much."


-----------
Summary
-----------

---Allies---
Soundman: 140 (70HP Barrier) [Restez Disabled]
Wiz: 0 (Emblem taken) [Not dead?]

---Unknown---
Kunoichi(?): 21 HP (Blind) [Holding Wiz.EXE's Navi Emblem] {Unarmed}

"There's two problems with that, though I hate to admit it. One is that I'm on a mission for the Netpolice and I'm supposed to be looking for a 'serial data jacker'. They didn't say I had to bring the jacker in- but I had to 'solve' the case of all of this anyway. That begs the question of whether or not the data jacker is you. That is the first problem." Soundman explained grimly, ending his small speech with a sigh.

"The second problem only comes up if you indeed are the data jacker. And don't lie, please, I can still take the emblem and blast you and I really don't want to have to do that."

The Kunoichi laughed at Soundman's threat "Down boy. Shooting me will get you nowhere." She paused for a second, still chuckling, then continued... "Of course I'd be the 'serial-data-jacker'. Sellouts aren't complete unless your name's ruined along with your chances of survival." She sighed. "The only problem with their charge is that this would be my first offense. I haven't taken any other data theft jobs. This would be what you'd call a setup. It happens when you're a merc for hire, and someone needs a scapegoat." She began absently flipping the Emblem through her fingers, but made no other movements otherwise. She was oddly confident, given her situation.


-----------
Summary
-----------

---Allies---
Soundman: 140 (70HP Barrier) [Restez Disabled]
Wiz: 0 (Emblem taken) [Not dead?]

---Unknown---
Kunoichi(?): 21 HP (Blind) [Holding Wiz.EXE's Navi Emblem] {Unarmed}

Soundman nodded, but then quickly realized the gesture would be wasted on her. "Well, I have two questions then. The first... what's your name?"

Soundman waited for her to reply.

"Mirage.EXE. Kunoichi and mercenary for hire..." She paused with a sigh "...at your disposal it would seem." She continued to flip the coin through her fingers.

"The second... who's the moron who sent you on this bogus job, if you know?"

"Now that, I'd be more than happy to share." She smiled "My contact was a new generation female Navi. She went by 'Flame.EXE' when we talked." She paused, her eyes focusing on the coin she was flipping through her fingers. "I'll bet you a drive-load of Zenny that that name's as real as the mission I took."

"Probably." Soundman scratched his chin for a moment, "Tell you what. I'll do more than let you 'walk away', I'll tell the Netpolice that the data thief was a navi who went by Flame.exe, but she 'got away, as thieves tend to do.'" Soundman chuckled at this, but continued. "But you have to show me where Wiz is. Deal?"

"Deal." Mirage replied as she stood up. Her eyes had cleared, and were tracking once again. The first thing she did was look Soundman over and declare "Yep, you're the stereo system."

She reached around behind herself with her right hand and withdrew, of all things, a scroll. She took it, and the Emblem, and handed them both to Soundman. "That should be everything you need to find and revive your brother. Feel free to open and read it while I'm standing here. It's not trapped. Let me know when you're satisfied, and I'll be on my merry way." She paused and waited for Soundman's response.

Soundman carefully held the scroll in one hand and the emblem in the other, and nodded, turning to leave- "Oh, one more thing." He paused, turning to face her again. "I forgive you." Soundman smiled, a wide, lopsided grin, and then turned around, unraveled the scroll a bit to start following the directions, and walked off.

When he got no response, Soundman looked over his shoulder to see Mirage was, like her namesake, gone. The BambooKnife was sitting exactly where she'd dropped it.

The scroll was accurate, and would eventually lead Soundman straight to Wiz. Reviving the other Navi was as simple as the mercenary had said it would be, and worked on the first try.

There were still a few HeelNavis running about, but they seemed more interested in finding the exit than bothering with anyone.


-------------------
Mission Summary
-------------------

Soundman: 140 HP
Rewards: 800z, BambooKnife
Key Items: Ninja Scroll ((You can keep it if you like.))

Wiz: 100 HP (Level reset)