Posts made by NetMafia

"Been busy, huh? Well, if there's one thing we've got, it's heavy ordinance for Teksqp guys. Just one sec, bud," the navi behind the counter responded, turning away his beady, inset eyes to look for the proper items. After fetching several from around the store, he slid them through the item window. "I'll be honest, feels kinda weird givin all this stuff away for no zenny. Who thought this up, anyways?"

Of course, he expected no real answer and went back to reading a magazine.

((Nitro loses 280 Faction Points and gets SeekerBomb3 x1,ShootingStar2 x1, VIP Call-In x1, and Call-In x1))

Hello, dear! If you're reading this, I must have given you my e-mail address. Lucky you! I'm always waiting to hear from my fans and peers in fashion. Please leave a message~

-Chic.EXE

... I'm also here. Leave a message if you want.

-Christine Ormsby

We will send word ahead so that she knows you're coming. Melissa Cage will meet you at an ACDC establishment called "Bowl'N Bones," where a party is being held somewhat later today. The party was advertised as mandatory for Teksqp operators, but it will be just you, Melissa, and the item carriers. It is essential that you do not alert any of them to the setup. If you must speak to Melissa about it, please do so with the utmost discretion. She will give you more details once you arrive.

-Teksqp Mission Coordinator

((Topic opening soon in ACDC))

If you want to help out Jailbird, here's the mission she's currently working on. It's not gonna be fun or easy though, so watch out. Even a slew of faction points might not be worth it.

Quote ()

Jailbird-

In light of recent events, the Head Family is reopening investigations of the case involving Mime's betrayal of the Teksqp family. Each of the operators assigned to that case, including Mime's, who has since quit, possessed a briefcase; they linked to temporary use homepages which we have long since investigated. We have not, however, looked at the cases themselves. There is a possibility that if any of those briefcases were being used for actual file storage, we may be able to obtain new information. We would like you to obtain the information by any means necessary. Please have your operator meet with Ferris McDougal at the attached location. Thank you.

-Kismet.EXE

Jailbird's op, Melissa Cage, recently requested aid, but you would be the first to respond. If you want to accept, post again and we will give you the "coordinates," so to speak.

-Teksqp Mission Coordinator

Some tough words coming from a greenhorn, but that ain't bad of a proposal. We'll cause some havoc and whatnot throughout some nets to keep a constant reminder of our "presence" to the people all around...But you won't be the one leading the parade, no, you'll be paired up with someone else who actually knows what to do.

Head over to NAXA network towards the coordination attached with this message. If you really want to lead, prove yourself. All things are rightfully earned, one way or the other, so don't think you can be hotshit from the getgo.

Attached:
NAXAhideout04.CRD

((Mod locked by Goroke))

Good to hear from you, DNR. Techari doesn't need any more slackers than we are already carrying.

Really, we need to start cleaning up the family from the inside out, but that's a difficult job. Public perception would be a fine place to start. I don't know the details, but JankenMan of Creel has put together a program at Dentech University for children, having Mafia members teach for a day. It might sound trivial, but I expect you to take the mission very seriously.

Meet up with JankenMan and a few of your Techari associates at these coordinates. Most importantly, remember: I am not in the mood for failure.

-EvolutionMan.EXE

*Coordinates.DAT attached*

((Topic opening in Dentech Net shortly))

We're pleased to see that you're taking the initiative to get your new comrade interested in Mafia affairs. I'm sure she'll understand the rewarding nature of our lifestyle soon enough.

This mission request came in recently. It is of above average risk and above average return. I trust you will be interested, but the hitch is that the supplier has some requirements that I'm not sure can be met. If you feel this is unsuitable, feel free to ask for another one.

Quote ()

The Teksqp family is considering allegiance with a newly formed organization known as Robespierre's "Right of Operation" Templars. Their ideas are very radical but radicalism has always been embraced by the Teksqp. Your mission would be twofold: 1) Fulfill their requirements with the mission they gave us, and 2) Report back to us with an estimate of how worthwhile the allegiance would be, giving evidence to support your opinion. A data recorder will be provided, capable of taking video evidence.

All we know about the mission is that it will involve high explosives and that ROT appears to be composed of some very irascible people. Try not to upset them. Upon completion of this mission, you will be rewarded a substantial sum of faction points and are free to keep whatever rewards you acquire throughout the course of the mission.

If their terms seem outrageous, please skip part 1 of your obligations and skip directly to part 2 so that we can terminate our contract.

If these conditions are acceptable, please head to these coordinates. It is a secure location, so we will provide you a Teksqp ID transmitter that can be detected at long range; this should let them know that you're friendly. While you wouldn't be getting experience alongside another Teksqp operative, there may be potential to work with future allies of your family.

Reward: 40 FP

*Attached: Coordinates.DAT, TeksqpSignal.DAT*

Honeywell could not respond your message, but he did notify that the 'mission' was a success. Here are your faction points you can use for our shops. Spend it well, rookie.

-NetMafia Operative

*20 Faction Points transferred*

Well, aren't you excited?! Meet me up at ACDC network, you'll know who you're gonna look out for when you get there. Stay sharp, kiddo.

-Honeywell

The villa of Gurta Wurm is a picturesque, two-story home with a very metropolitan design. Great riches have been afforded to her by both the mafia and her publishers; much of this money goes into frivolous luxuries. The luxuries are not gaudy, but rather something to be jealous of; the types of things that a lot of her peers in journalism look enviously upon. As one of the best-known opponents of the NP, she enjoys a very high income for her work. The villa's location right at the edge of a known slum keeps animosities even higher, but it's as though she thrives off of the hatred of others...

Gurta sat cross-legged at her writing desk, tapping her pen up and down upon her notepad. Her work had begun to bug her lately; she was always very confident of her writing ability, but ever since the GNA had stepped in and put the Mafia and the NP on an even footing, berating the NP just didn't have its same appeal. "You know what I think, Morph? Screw the whole GNA," she muttered, taking a swig of whiskey with a long gulp.

The reporter had never been much to look at. Getting up near forty, her skin and face had begun to feel the toil of an unhealthy tobacco obsession and the alcohol alongside it wasn't helping things. Still, she dressed nicely, today wearing a purple suit and black turtleneck along with her signature gold jewelry. Her black hair fell lazily over one shoulder as she bit her pen anxiously. Now wasn't quite the right time to light up a cigarette, although almost any other time would do. "I miss the good old days, where the NP were everyone's knights in shining armor. Isn't it funny that the better I do my job the less I have to work with? Now that I've finally got us about level in the eyes of the public, I wish I had them to pick on some more," she chuckled, possibly attributing too much credit to herself in cutting the NP down to size.

MorphMan was an equally sickly looking creature, a pale-yellow worm with a slimy and rubbery body. The worm's personality has two fluctuations: morbid and sluggish, alternating with devious and keen. Currently, he was stuck on the sluggish setting. "What's wrong Gurta? Isn't there any news?" he mumbled, keeping a frown set wide across his disturbingly human like face. He blinked his red, glazed eyes slowly, not anticipating much.

"No, no there isn't. There's been that tower rising lately, but the best I could do their is blame the NP for not doing more to investigate it. As I've said, the best news is something that you can put people into controversy over... something that really says somebody's being oppressed. Any speculation over that tower right now is just that: speculation," she grumbled, setting her pen down and crossing her arms across her breasts. "Nobody's going to go up in arms over something that could be anyone's fault. And I'm not an investigative reporter, I'll let somebody else do the digging on this.... Dammit! Why doesn't the NP just do something? I dunno, anything? Weren't they supposed to start initiating people?!" she grumbled, nearly smashing her bottle of alcohol against the desk.

"There was that incident with police brutality recently that Chic talked about. That girl from Vivarte, remember?" MorphMan offered mildly.

"Psh! I don't want to do a little slut like that any favors," Gurta grumbled, taking another long draw of her drink. "And don't question me on the slut part; any girl that looks that good and is in the two-bit 'We're good guys but also bad guys' business has gotta be a slut." Gurta thumbed through the day's papers lazily, looking for anything that would be good to give an opinion on.

The more the NP looked like the Mafia, the less it was worth Gurta's time to sling mud on it. People want to see the good guys go down, not the guys who are already having a hard time. As Gurta turned this thought over in her head, an opinion began to form. "You know what? We need to move on from the NP. I'll pass on that mantle to the rest of the Creel, the guys who are more talented at recruiting than the stuff that really matters," she smirked. "I've got a new angle, work with me here."

MorphMan nodded, but offered no new advice.

"The GNA, Morph. They're the big, powerful, sniper-armed guys who are holding this whole arrangement together. They're telling the whole damn Police what they can do," she explained.

"Duh. The GNA's not possible to oppose, though. The public opinion isn't something that touches them," MorphMan sighed, lowering his head and sagging apathetically.

Gurta shook her head, then stuck her pen back into her mouth, chewing it out of habit. She really needed a smoke. "Nah, nah! You're wrong there. The GNA don't care if people think they're lazy, true. They know people have the public perception of them as perfectly neutral. But you know what? There's people in there. And people are crooks," she explained, nodding as if the logic was all perfectly evident. MorphMan simply frowned blankly. "You don't get it, do you? Somebody in that damned organization is doing something I can pin on the organization as a whole! They're abusing that huge, ultimate power somehow. It's a huge, ultimate power, that's just what you do with it!"

"Looking for evidence? I thought you said you weren't in to investigative journalism," MorphMan hummed dryly.

"Yeah, well, my name's big enough to let me squeeze in wherever I want. And hey, my hands are dirty in all kinds'a ways. If there's a mook out there that's going to incriminate the GNA... I might even already know him," she said with a final chuckle, reaching into her drawer for her cigarettes and then lighting one up without even moving outside.

Antony Georgopoulos is the operator of a Bloodhounds navi known as PantheonMan, the powerful Rank 1 of the Bloodhounds and one of their most active advertisers. On the surface, Antony's appearance and lifestyle are those of an ordinary college-goer: his look is preppy and outgoing. In reality, however, he's a willing criminal who enjoys the frivolous brutality of his navi.

Driving his father's hand-me-down brown flatbed, Antony is headed for the residence of Wakana Fujimoto, the young operator of the Bloodhounds' Rank 6. A personal request was sent to him over e-mail and he is now all too eager to go out and resolve the issue with his usual pep and enthusiasm.

PantheonMan could not help but feel jealous at his operator's opportunity. Thus far, the navi had been wholly unsuccessful in wooing over the desirable FireYaku, despite his charm and efforts. In contrast, Antony, a shrimpy and springy-haired guy who always seemed to wear the wrong color of polo shirt, was getting to meet that navi's operator. PantheonMan could not help but fantasize that the operator was as attractive as the navi. "Do you know why she's called you? It seems like it would have been easier for Yaku to meet me at my homepage. I'd relish the opportunity to see her at my temple... ha ha," he laughed, rubbing his cleft chin thoughtfully.

Antony fixed up his shirt in the mirror (the shirt was as dreadfully bright green as PantheonMan would expect), smiling at everyone who could see him. His eyes were filled with glee behind his dark, fratty shades. "Hey, chillax. You're not the only big man in the mafia, right? She obviously wants a little lovin' from ol' Antonio, and can you blame her? I'm the operator of the rank 1 navi, right?" he laughed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ha ha ha! That's some healthy optimism," PantheonMan laughed heartily, enjoying his operator's mood and releasing his jealousy. "Be careful, other Bloodhound operators may be just as beastly as their navis. You never know, this Wakana might be a powerful, angry woman or even a man. Do you know much about traditional Electopian names?"

Shrugging, Antony took his hands off the wheel to pop open a tab of gum and stick it into his mouth. Chewing and grinning cheekily, he looked down at his navi's PET, sitting on the seat next to him. "Guess we'll see."

-------------------------------------

The sunlight beamed down onto Antony's head as he stepped out from the car, looking right and left to take in the scenery of the Fujimoto residence. A huge staircase led up to something like a shrine; drums surrounded each side, giving it an impressive sense of grandeur. Further in, he could hear somebody beating a drum... "Seems pretty warm for that, he thought, wiping sweat off of his forehead and missing the blast of his AC.

"I admire a woman willing to come out in weather like this for some physical activity. Reminds me of Bull a bit. Of course, now that I've said that, he'll probably turn out to be a man, ha ha ha ha!" Antony's navi laughed.

Grunting, the operator dismissed the comment, thinking it sort of annoying with the heat he was braving to meet the girl in person. No offense to Bullrun, but she was not the sort of woman he was hoping to hook up with. "Oh ye Gods, now these stairs! This must be some kind of method to keep intruders out," he muttered, grabbing on to the stone side rails and making his way slowly up.

-----------------------------------

Finally reaching the top, Antony was drenched in sweat. The drumming was still continuing, to his amazement, and the sound was now a constant, loud reverberation in his ears. "Hey, I respect traditions and whatever, but sheesh! This is not something you should do when you're expecting a very important guest!" he huffed, nearly collapsing as his hand missed the stone rail.

"Seems navis aren't the only ones who need to keep in shape to be part of the Mafia," his navi chuckled dryly.

Knocking on the door desperately, Antony anticipated his journey's end. The drum did not cease beating, however, and two huge, muscled, bald men answered the door. By the looks of them, they may have been identical twins. Each stared fiercely down into Antony's eyes (Antony himself was over six feet tall) and did not speak. "Wakana... Fujimoto..." he gasped out, afraid to speak. Turning and nodding at one another for approval, the two men each stepped to the side. Antony grinned sheepishly, moving forward. As soon as he did, one of the brothers stepped to his side to accompany him.

The interior of the temple was richly decorated with... drums. Drums drums drums. Antony had a hard time imagining that anyone could need that many, even for a collection. Following the bald man slowly, he was led into the courtyard again, much to his chagrin. He had been thankful to get out of the heat and now he was being ushered right back into it. Quickly, he attempted to locate the source of the drumming and ask them (as politely as possible) to stop.

What he found was, surprisingly, not a hulking man at all. Instead, the source of the noise was a single drummer, a very short and tan girl with dark hair. Her lean body was covered in sweat but not a lot else, as all she'd elected to wear was a red, open jacket with a chest wrap beneath and a short-clothed white fundoshi on the bottom. All in all, he felt it had been worth the trip up and was glad that his image of a shrine full of burly men was dispelled. "W-Why hello!" he called out in surprise, waving one hand.

The girl shrieked with surprising girlishness, pointing one drum stick towards the house. Not knowing what to do but feeling the strong grip of the bald man pulling him, Antony found himself being wrestled back indoors. The two bald men were up in arms, apparently equally unsure about what had caused the commotion. The girl quickly entered the room, sliding open the door noisily. She had now tied her tunic with a thick rope and had slipped into matching red shorts. She was still, however, covered in sweat and looking very flustered. "Brothers! You should not have brought our guest out into the yard while I was practicing. He and I are equally disgraced!"

The two men bowed, then backed up, keeping their heads lowered repentantly. Antony was baffled, seeing the two so subservient to a single young woman, but he would take luck where he could get it. He figured he'd better show some respect too and thus bowed. "I'm sorry! I never would have come out if I knew you weren't dressed!" he insisted, although he'd been happy for the eyeful.

"I was dressed! That is nothing more than a garb that you wear when you play taiko!" she explained, looking more red-faced now.

"Okay, okay!" he babbled, backing up. "'Nothing more' is right," he thought to himself cheerfully, unable to suppress a grin. "Okay, well, I understand you're probably FireYaku's op and you requested that I come here. Wuzzup?" he asked comfortably, taking a more natural sitting position instead of kneeling.

"As per the GNA's new arrangements, we must now initiate new recruits. As one of the ranked officers, it is likely FireYaku will be called upon to handle some of these entries. I'd like any advice you can offer on the matter. I understand your navi is a natural leader, the type who takes pleasure in initiations, so I thought you might have some experience," she explained very formally.

Antony was a little depressed that the invite had been more over their navis than for him, but he figured he'd come this far and ought to offer some advice. "Sure thing," he said with a sigh, smiling and moving in closer. "But I feel like he'd like to offer some of that himself."

PantheonMan's face appeared on the monitor of Antony's PET, grinning charismatically. "Hello, beautiful miss Fujimoto. I'll impart to you everything that I know."

--------------------------------------

Antony drove home with a lot on his mind. The trip hadn't gone quite as he'd expected, but he'd set his eyes on a lovely spectacle that he wouldn't mind setting eyes upon again in the future. "Maaan, I'm not into buff chicks like you, but the hot-blooded types... I can get behind those, if you know what I mean," he laughed, pushing his foot down harder on the pedal. "Hey, you and me ought to make a little bet. I'll bet I can get Wakana faster than you can get FireYaku," he said with a serious smile.

The navi's eyebrows rose; he couldn't help surpressing a laugh and clutched his head as his neck snapped back. "What, are you serious?! Name the stakes!" he managed through the laughter.

"Just a gentleman's wager, bro," Antony snickered, giving a toothy and satisfied grin.

TO: s.yamada@electown.net
FROM: MailerDaemon@MangoRepublicOnline.com
SUBJECT: Re: Your Purchase!
MESSAGE:

Dear Sam Yamada,

Thank you for your recent purchase of our fine navi line of goods.

If you're new to our service, all you need to do is install the attached file to download your new Graphic Model Override:

http://www.MangoRepublicOnline.com/downloa...ss10nsp001E5962

To use your new Graphic Model Upgrade, just open up your navi Graphics Menu, navigate to the sound file, and activate 5feed.mp3 for further instruction.

Your credit card has been charged as detailed below. This email message will serve as your receipt. You can also access your Purchase History online at any time.

Leather Jacket 1399 z
Red Scarf 1999 z
Subtotal 3398 z
Tax 0.00 z
Protection Fee 1000 z
Shipping 0.00 z

Total 4398 z

Credit Card Type NetopianExpress

Card number XXXXXXXXXXXX3392
Confirmation number 192839472856204928
Date Confirmed Wednesday, October 31, 200X

This notification has been sent to the email address associated with your account with us at MangoRepublicOnline. If you feel this message was delivered in error, please inform our customer support at our website.
This email message was generated automatically by our system. Please do not respond.

Attachment: GMOScarf, GMOJacket

Bullrun strolled easily back into PantheonMan's homepage, stretching her arms above her head as she walked. Throwing her cape carelessly onto the marble floor, she then joined it, sprawling her body out carelessly. "So those Vivarte finally backed down, huh? I guess intimidation really is the way to go. Not like that's anything we didn't already know,"[font=rockwell][/font] she laughed, pulling off her helmet and tossing it aside with a thunk. Her burning eyes showed that she'd just been in a battle and had probably come to PantheonMan for more of the usual.

PantheonMan had been busy reviewing the GNA situation, a job that probably was more suited to Bullrun herself, as she was the assistant leader of the Bloodhound family. Ordinarily someone would be very put off by a large, sweaty figure coming in to his home and throwing their stuff all around the polished marble floor. PantheonMan simply chuckled, going to lie down beside his superior with an amused smile spread across his thick lips. "Yes well, that's in the past. That was quite some stunt you pulled, Bull. Do you realize the identity of that target you picked a number of nights ago? The young Netpolice fellow?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He'd intended to remain serious with her, but he found that he'd become just as aroused as she had early into the conversation.

"Bwahaha! What, you mean the little horsie? I'm sorry I broke him, Pantheon, but he just wasn't built strong enough,"[font=rockwell][/font] she smiled, her eyes shining as she recalled ripping the navi's legs from his dying body. "What, are you afraid I'm going to piss off Azrael?"[font=rockwell][/font]

"Trust me, he's not a guy you want to piss off. All I'm saying is this: we already go the extra mile when it comes to getting our fill of combat. Why not pick targets that are slightly lower profile?" he suggested, carressing her thigh as she flung off her torso armor. "This guy you killed was on some special team I hear. There are those in the Netpolice who are very upset. Now, you and I know that that means more violence and more fun for the two of us, but there are others who would like things not to be quite so excited."

Bullrun made a rude and dismissive grunt. "Screw you! That syrupy way you talk some times pisses me off. It makes me want to break your arms, Sweetie,"[font=rockwell][/font] she giggled, regaining her toothy grin. To her what would be death-threats to most seemed like ordinary sweet-talk. "So anyways, you keeping up on the buzz? Seems like the Bloodhounds might get some fresh meat soon. I just have to make sure we get our hooks in them before the softies butter them up,"[font=rockwell][/font] she smiled, standing to finish the rest of her wardrobe.

PantheonMan smiled in agreement, nodding to show that he was indeed up on "the buzz." In reality, were it not for the difference in their levels of combat experience, he would be far more suited for the Assistant Leader role than she. He kept up with current events and she did not; he was also a lot better at talking to people that he ought not to piss off. "Well, besides Kissie. But she's just one of those people you can't help it with," he chuckled to himself. Finishing his own disrobing, he gave a yawn and closed out his research. "Too long have we Bloodhounds been unable to share our lifestyle with others. Soon, warriors around the net will finally know the glory, the brilliance, the sheer fulfillment! The kind of fulfillment that can only come from destroying your opponent a in real battle for blood, not from this watered down child's sport that we call netbattling nowadays. Soon, a good many lucky navis are going to learn what it means... to be a Bloodhound!" he stated with vigor, throwing off his toga and descending upon Bullrun in a flurry of passion.

Huh. Good thinking, kid. It could save your skin some day.

As for your question, it's really quite odd. It wasn't any of our men, and it's going down wasn't us, for sure. But the odd thing is that we aren't picking up any chatter on the Police side to indicate they're missing a man, either, and our informants tell us that no NetPolice Navi that would even remotely be capable of doing this was anywhere near Hades recently. As far as we know, this is an isolated incident completely outside of both us and the NetPolice.

However, there is an interest, as you put it, in this now that you've brought it to our attention. We're picking up all sorts of completely wacked signals out of Hades near that general area, and they are doing nothing but getting stranger. Some of the Techari boys really are itching to know what the deal with it is, but we don't want to tip our hands to the cops just yet, so since you're much more 'under the radar' go and get that box, bring it to this Titan guy in the Netsquare, and get a real good ID on him so we can tail him and approach him separately.

"I understand now that it was a mistake. There's nothing to fear. If keeping this opposition up has become counterproductive, I will keep my discontent to myself,"[font=OCR A extended][/font] he replied, closing his large eyes. "I believe the few Vivarte operatives I'm sheltering here will agree to do the same. I will continue to hope, however, that the Head family comes to agree with me on the matter. I also intend to continue my policy of accepting no orders that require deleting those I believe to be inconsequential. That aside, as you are the leader of Vivarte, I will trust your judgment on what individuals are deemed worthy of deletion. I'd just like to see the Bloodhound's objectives kept far from our own."[font=OCR A extended][/font]

Realizing he still wasn't being entirely reasonable, OrbitMan opened his eyes once again. "No, I'm overstepping my authority again. From now on, I will accept my orders without complaint,"[font=OCR A extended][/font] he finally submitted. "I'd be setting a poor example if I was to do anything otherwise."[font=OCR A extended][/font]

As a strong-willed individual, Chic did not like to see OrbitMan acting so mild. "Really? OrbitMan intends to lie down and take whatever the others tell him to do? I guess at this rate all we can hope is that those Teksqp and Bloodhounds keep away from here. His eyes look like they've lost their fire... I'd be surprised if he was willing to refuse anything from anyone at this point,"[font=segoe print][/font] she thought. The blame didn't lie with Jacques, she realized, or Kismet of the head family. A large part of that fire leaving OrbitMan was simply due to his age. The dream that OrbitMan had fought for so long was being pushed back even further. OrbitMan, a navi who'd been alive for over 100 years, might not last long enough to see his dream realized...

"Everything is understood. There will be no further mistakes on my part. I apologize for wasting your time,"[font=OCR A extended][/font] OrbitMan finished, his eyes wearily half-shut as his panels rotated more slowly and his body rose back into the sky.

Jacques gave a polite nod to OrbitMan's admission, his expression unchanging. "I can assure that they are given protection if it is necessary, but only if I am informed of these situations. Keeping important information from me accomplishes nothing."

He took a deep breath before breaking the news to OrbitMan. Ultimately, he decided to be completely open about what Kismet had said, rather than simply delivering his own decision and verdict. "She presented me with a choice. I can either allow the situation to remain as it is and escalate into an internal war, or I can silence you and put an end to your campaign against the Mafia's anti-NetPolice policies. I respect you and your views, OrbitMan, but the last thing I want is an inter-family war, so I have chosen the latter. I'm presenting this to you as a request, but I won't hesitate to make it an order if I feel it's necessary."

OrbitMan let out an even greater sigh, looking "down" to avoid Jacques' gaze, which gave him a weird field of vision due to his sunken in eyes and place hanging high in the air. "I guess an old man like me shouldn't be lying about things. That mischief is for young people," the great satellite muttered, focusing his eyes back upon Jacques. "I'm sure you know most of the situation by now, but suffice to say, this is the first real violent threat I've seen in opposition to my policies. If it were only threatening me, it would be tolerable, but it seems those that Charlotte is sheltering are also in jeopardy," he admitted, his voice trailing off as he tried to think of how to continue.

"What was her request exactly?" he finished, not bothering to hold his breath. The request wasn't hard to guess, but the real trouble on his mind now was how final this shutdown of his political agenda would be.

Chic watched from a distance behind her lines of hanging wardrobes, peeking out anxiously to see what would happen. The moment was much more tense for her than it was for OrbitMan, as she half expected Jacques to break into violence and punish him any second now, knowing nothing of his personality.

Jacques gave a short bow and pleasant smile to Chic as she greeted him and ran off. Afterward, he stood and waited until OrbitMan appeared on the homepage and descended to somewhere near his level to greet him, followed by "what is it you wish to speak about" and a weary sigh that Jacques had come to think of as one of Orbit's defining characteristics. Still, it didn't take a genius to understand what the sigh meant.

"Drop the act, OrbitMan. Unfortunately, I think we both know exactly what I need to speak with you about." He gave a short pause, trying to decide the conversation order that would cause the least argument. He didn't want to hit his assistant leader with everything that had come up in his meeting with Kismet at once. Nor, for that matter, did he want to hold out on OrbitMan. Usually he would try to gauge a navi's mood before speaking about serious issues with them, to avoid saying something that would upset them if at all possible. However, he could already guess OrbitMan's mood at this point, and the issue wasn't one he could just inch around.

"I've recently met with Kismet of the Head family. Our conversation was...enlightening he finally continued. First off, I'm to understand Boss Oni came here and caused some trouble recently. Is there a reason you kept this from me?"

The Netpolice have long since moved out of the 33rd Netopia Station, which has become obsolete, in favor of new, more advanced technology. The station was never removed because it was reported that some homeless navis had taken up residence in it. For all the Netpolice know, that is where the story ended. This building, however, was quickly rid of its new residents through the homicidal acts of KevlarMan, the delusional leader of the Teksqp, a mafia family housing all manner of maniacs and monsters. In the world of KevlarMan, the NP was justice and he was the NP; unfortunately, to this psychopath, everyone and everything poses constant violations to the law and has to dealt with by lethal force. As a result, the mafia leaves KevlarMan entirely to his own devices, except when he must be called upon for a specific task.

KevlarMan believed that by reporting to this building daily, by bringing "criminals" here for their trials, he was doing his duty as a Netpolice officer. The building, while still in good repair, is splattered with the disarray of battle and blood of his victims. As Kismet approaches the building, she feels gripping fear that she knows contradicts her own ideas of her invicibility, as well as her status as a Mafia Head Family representative. Unfortunately, she has business with the leader of the Teksqp and this is the only reliable place to find him.

The storm surrounding the area reminds Kismet of the area where she had found PantheonMan earlier. The bleak, faded paint of the former NP headquarters stands out against the dark landscape. Only certain lights are on in the building, undoubtedly only the ones KevlarMan uses in his daily work. Amazingly, it is kept in good repair from the outside, aside from a few obvious signs of KevlarMan's overkill of his victims, such as shattered windows and walls with bullet holes. Kismet swallows her fear, entering the imposing, four story building.

Kismet was growing tired of visiting undesirable locations. Over the course of one day, she'd gone from a sweat and blood covered altar to a seedy pub for smelly common men. Now she'd ended up in one of the worst places of all, a building once used by the Mafia's enemies but now occupied by a powerful man who was himself willing to kill his own Mafia allies. Kismet highly doubted that anything good could come from attempting to reason with an individual as off-his-rocker as KevlarMan, but she had to try for the sake of her negotiations. Experimentally, she knocked on the door, thinking that perhaps he'd be within hearing distance. "KevlarMan, this is Kismet, Head Family Rank Two. I'd like to have a word with you, if you're not terribly busy,"[font=DokChampa][/font] she announced herself through her teeth, peering through a window at the side to see if he was approaching.

Seeing no sign of him, she opened the door quietly, stepping in and pulling down her hood from the crystalline orb surrounding her head. "Why can't they ever make this easy for me?"[font=DokChampa][/font] she muttered under her breath, feeling against the wall for any kind of light switch. Unable to find it, she relied upon her helmet's sensors to navigate, sticking her arms out to either side to follow along the wall and avoiding obstacles. "KevlarMan, I need to speak with you on behalf of the Head Family. Please respond![font=DokChampa][/font] she urged again, shouting this time. She wasn't very good at raising her voice, so it ended up sounding raspy and child-like; not the kind of impression she was hoping to give off. She listened, but all that responded was silence... but then...

Footsteps came from overhead, but no answer. Just the hard, unwavering clop of boots echoing in one of the halls in the second floor. "KevlarMan? That must be you. Please come down here and speak with me,"[font=DokChampa][/font] Kismet growled, beginning to grow not only frustrated, but vaguely afraid. KevlarMan wasn't the leader of the Teksqp for no reason. Before he'd become a mafioso, KevlarMan had killed many high-ranked mafia targets. Since joining the mafia, he'd killed many of his former allies. He was certainly neither someone to be trusted nor belittled. Still, there was no response, but a sort of whirring noise sounded nearby.

Kismet's eyes widened as she saw a silhouetted figure framed in the door to the second floor, at the top of the stairs at the end of the hallways. "KevlarMan?"[font=DokChampa][/font] she inquired, standing perfectly still.

"Breaking and entering," the figure called from the top of the stairs.

Kismet continued to stand perfectly still, as if fearing she'd be shot if she moved a single muscle. Sweat trickled down the side of her face and the wrinkled bridge of her nose beneath her helmet. "What did you say? Breaking and entering?"[font=DokChampa][/font] she asked, repeating his words in a sort of raspy cough.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the navi figure in its frame as the bolt outside shined through the window behind him. KevlarMan wore a plain policeman's navi suit over a hardened military body. His head was covered by a Netpolice helmet, but through a large break in the visor, Kismet could see his eyes, looking coldly and judgmentally upon her as a criminal. The worst feature was the long, ready sniper rifle he was toting in both hands, gradually taking its aim upon her. "I said you're committing breaking and entering, a felony. Even on the net, there's such a thing as private property." Kismet began to apologize, but KevlarMan simply sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm busy at the moment. No time for a trial. I've had this happen a lot lately, though, and it's my job to inform you that the punishment for such a crime is generally death."

For a moment, Kismet wasn't sure if he was serious or not, but when her operator confirmed to her that a jackout barrier was already preventing her leaving the area, she realized that the threat was genuine. "You don't understand, I'm from the Head Family. I've got a message for the Teksqp Leader and his subordinates,"[font=DokChampa][/font] she explained quickly. Thankfully, KevlarMan began to lower his rifle.

"Hm, okay. I guess that administration is part of my duties too. But make it quick so that I can deliver the punishment expediently," he said with a bizarre calmness, as if what he was saying held none of the irrationality that Kismet so clearly saw in it.

Grunting, Kismet tried to arrange her thoughts as quickly as she could. "I take it you're aware of your subordinates' actions as of late? Boss Oni, a Teksqp operative, recently assailed members of Vivarte in their own homepage. The Bloodhounds have apparently allied with the Teksqp in some sort of agreement against the Vivarte. I've already mediated with the Bloodhounds, even though I couldn't get a hold on their leader. Jacques has agreed to talk the issue over with his Vivarte underlings. Now all that remains is for you, the Teksqp, to back down and we will have a relatively nonviolent situation established, since the Bloodhounds will be forced to back down as well,"[font=DokChampa][/font] she finished, watching him for a response.

KevlarMan was currently accessing some old computer, apparently a relic from the days when the station was used by the NP, in which he had compiled a roster of Mafia operatives. "Oh, I see now. Yes, I gave my support to PantheonMan and Bullrun earlier. The Vivarte are criminals that need to be punished, you see," he answered in a matter-of-fact fashion, looking through some additional files as he did. "PantheonMan explained to me the sorts of crimes they'd been committing. My only regret is that I can't leave my post currently to judge them myself."

"He lied to you,"[font=DokChampa][/font] Kismet responded with a sigh, her eyebrows quivering in anger beneath the crystal orb mask. "The Vivarte are still acting mostly within their bounds. Please call off all further Teksqp instigation. This is necessary to avoid a civil war amongst your allies. To do anything else would provoke unnecessary conflict"[font=DokChampa][/font] she ordered once again. The idea of KevlarMan agreeing to drop any sort of "unnecessary violence" was ridiculous, but she had to try.

"Lying to an officer? PantheonMan should be punished then. I'll make a note to punish him harshly next time I see him. Preliminarily, I'm suspecting that his punishment will be death. Anyways, now that we're done talking, are you ready for your execution?" he asked, raising back up his sniper rifle to the alarm of Kismet.

Kismet wasted no time responding; instead, she turned and ran, gathering her cloak around her. There was an ear-splitting crash as a bullet smashed her crystal orb, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Her panicked face exposed and green hair swaying frantically in the wind, Kismet made a mad dash to escape the area before he could inflict any lethal damage. As she exited the building, she had left the range of the jack-out barrier and quickly escaped.

Sighing, KevlarMan reloaded his rifle and returned it to its stand. Slowly, he made his way back up the staircase to the one ominously lighted room, returning to his criminal investigations.

The only one present on the Vivarte homepage as Jacques came to visit was Chic, who was busily at work designing a new .GMO design to suit her next adventure. OrbitMan was busy working with Charlotte Ollendorf while BanditMan was off undertaking a new mission for the mafia. Chic was mortified that he'd come in as she was outside of any .GMO, sitting Indian-style on the floor while working on her new clothes. As the rank 6, she has never met Jacques personally. She'd been nervous just speaking to OrbitMan, the assistant leader, the first time; this guy was the go-getter who had risen above even OrbitMan to the leadership position! Spitting out the short pencil she kept in her mouth and scrambling to her feet, she rose to meet Jacques and his SPs.

"H-Hello, Jacques! You need to see OrbitMan, right, I'll get him for you!" she addressed him shortly, then ran off, not wanting to be seen in her homely green overalls any longer than she had to be, especially not in front of someone as important as Jacques. Ordinarily, it might have occurred to her to try to develop some devious cover-up, since it was fairly certain that Jacques had come here to shut down OrbitMan's political actions within the mafia. This didn't cross her mind now, however, as she had the notion from hearsay that Jacques was a clever man that would not be deceived. Besides that, his handsome appearance had caught her off guard and doubled her anxiety.

Chic didn't return, but Jacques did indeed get his wish as a flash of white light illuminated the sky. OrbitMan's face appeared hovering above; he slowly made his way downward, creating a giant shadow on the ground as he floated mid-air. "Greetings, Jacques. I am here. What is it you wish to speak about?" OrbitMan asked, trying his best to hold in his disappointment, but still letting out one of his usual weary sighs. He knew good and well why Jacques had come, but figured just in case there was a glimmer of hope, he would feign ignorance for a moment longer.