Seesaw

by MintLynx

9: Below

Owl awoke with a groan, in the bed on his rented room in the Inn and Out. The bat looked around, wondering if his experience was simply a nightmare. Given all these events it seemed possible to him after all the events of the dream could easily have been catalyzed by recent events and worries he had faced. Getting up he looked to his wrist computer's screen and checked the time, 8:04 pm, waking time. He stretched his legs some, kicking his biological mechanisms from their sleep mode before approaching the door. Opening it he looked to find Data chatting with Night, the door opening drew her attention to him as she said with a silly smile.

"Well if it ain't mister I am become smash, destroyer of computers," Data said in a humorous manner with a bit of a silly smirk. "What did you find on that thing to total it so much, filly porn?" she asked him. The computer in that apartment had been smashed into oblivion, and they were only lucky that the data could be recovered from the wreckage. Vision was not pleased that such potential evidence getting smashed up to oblivion, and was also concerned for Owl's mental well-being. Both Data and Vision calmly questioned Owl, who seemed to grow more distressed as he recounted the events of the last night. Owl's hopes of it being a dream were shattered like the glass windows of a riot-stricken street. The alleged 'truth' of which painted a not so stellar view of the royal and police system at large surfaced once more in his mind and hit like a whip. Shuttering some he informed them of his ex-wife's apparent allegiance to Digital Hoof and the fact that she took their daughter with her. Some relief came as it was mentioned that the hacktivist group recently made open denouncements of the Freedom Fighter's group along with intentions to take action against them. At least his ex and daughter weren't roped in with cyberterrorists, but there was still this alleged revelation supposedly taken from deep into the Royal Guard mainframe that ate at his mind. Yet he stalled from speaking of it, fearing what the implications could do to the psyche of his friends.

Eventually, he ended up having to tell the deeper details of his talk with Night Haze. This would lead to the subject of the apparent data breach and what it revealed, what she showed to him. Data was alarmed in her mind, did the super hacker choose to disregard the message and consequences Cypher mentioned? Owl would detail some of the things these files supposedly incriminated the royal and police systems at large. Vision looked sternly skeptical and questioned these claims even as Owl mentioned the familiar formatting. Owl was honestly not one to argue Vision's skepticism, and in fact joined in as he could not believe what he was shown wasn't lies. Date kept quiet about it mostly, just listening before remarking "Well even though your ex confessed she could be trying to divert you away while turning you against us. She, after all, could have fabricated that evidence for that very purpose."

"It will be looked into, but right now we have something else that takes priority." said the Chief who almost made the three of them jump at his sudden presence akin to a silent teleport. "I have checked on our little friend Anomaly and she reports that the cyberterrorists are attempting to attract us to another trap."

Sitting in the room with Anomaly Owl and his team, accompanied by a few other team members the Chief politely asked the mare. "Tell us what you have found, miss Anomaly."

Anomaly looked to the ponies around her as she sat on the bed, patient professional eyes and ears awaiting her word on things. She reported finding a post on the site MessengerBird. MessengerBird was a more recent site to exploit the InterNet's capability to connect ponies from great distances to instant communications permitting amenities such as public postings and private messages. She reported discovering a post made by user 'FreeWill234' detailing some coordinates followed by a picture showing "FF" in large text on a red background. Along with it was the comment 'Free from boundaries, free from tyranny'. Coordinates led to a well-known Plaza in Everfree's financial district, a place known as the Diamond Plaza. The fact things were detailed here for ponies to see made it look like a threat of attack, peeking around further to intercept communications detailing intentions to 'troll' the RLG once more. Further investigation permitted her to track the hackers to some activity deep within the shadow district.

Owl knew what the shadow district was, an unofficial name of an area literally under the shadow of the multi-layered superstructure megacity of Augmented Cloud Material that was Cloudsdale. Cloudsdale was officially its own city though it's sprawl connected with Everfree's at one point known as the divide, part of which covering what was once the Unicorn Range. Everfree's sprawl connected with the shadow district, itself a place of factories both running and abandoned along with yet to be torn down slums. Very few souls lived here, most ponies came only to work the systems which ran the robots that basically did everything in the factories. Not many ponies wanted to live in a place mostly shrouded from the sun's light with few rays peeking through the stacks of Cloudsdale's structure. Given the lack of residential real estate, there was plenty of room for Megacorps and smaller entities to build and run factories for all their products as well. Ponies that did live in the shadow district generally lived at the rim where one could at least get sunlight in the sunset and or morning. Day and especially night it was mostly very dark as the electrical grid was hardly wasted on a large area with very few ponies living in it. Data humorously remarked.

"For once we're gonna catch shady buckers in a shady place, I find it funny how we've always caught them in some party district." a few chuckles came from the other I&I ponies. The Chief would them coordinate a plan to investigate Anomaly's lead and try to find these hackers wherever they might be. This time a larger team of I&I would be sent to do the investigations, given how dark the place would be it would be seemingly perfect for the stealthy types. The ultimate plan was for all the team members to take taxis to the shadow district before heading to a waypoint given by Anomaly and beginning their stealthy investigation. Owl walked out of the Inn and Out with his two friends, ordering a Taxi for the three of them. The taxi was very much an invention of the industrial age, from a time long before the self-driving autocarriage. Nowadays they were entirely automated and could have as many as six seats at once, and ordered through Wrist Computer application. The white and blue colored vehicle rolled up to the three, aerodynamic in shape and fancy looking to any pony from the past. The doors would fold open as Owl and his team entered the vehicle. The rest of the I&I personnel would fly off to other locations before calling taxis of their own. Sitting back Owl looked out the window as the automated machine made its way along the roads, it's biofuel-powered engine emitting a mechanical whine as it accelerated to the CCS set speed for the road. The trip was smooth as the traffic flowed like water through a stream within the advanced algorithms keeping traffic in check, and soon the taxi would speed up as it rolled onto the InterDistrict highway.

Owl watched through the transparent roof of the taxi as the megastructure cloud city loomed overhead, luminescent cloud material decorating many of the structures built between the multitude of levels that made up the city. Cloudsdale was almost like a massive building with buildings inside, it merely lacked outer walls and a roof of its own. Once a night sky view from the taxi roof was now a shrouded black pattern of geometric shapes marking where the floating megastructure above blocked the night sky's light. A small amount of neon cloud lit up the shadow district's artificial sky like artificial stars in an artificially extended night. Many massive factory buildings passed by as the Taxi rolled along a largely empty road with a few transport vehicles passing by, places run usually by a moderate sized team of computer workers monitoring the work of automated robots and work androids. It was officially known as the Sub-Cloudsdale Factory Zone or SCFZ, and was nearly as large as Cloudsdale itself. Cameras were everywhere, though not to the extent of the usual city, most of the property was corporate or business owned and guarded by security personnel. With most of the action contained within walls of metal and concrete, the streets were largely quiet as Owl and his friends exited the taxi, the machine turning around and driving back to the highway as if in a rush to leave. Connecting with her friends and Anomaly through call, Data would go look for a hiding spot atop the nearest building.

Owl and Vision split up, Vision flying around the area above like a hawk seeking its prey while Owl himself went in for the deeper investigation. The Chief had their call monitored so that if things went wrong like in the Mall incident he could have Sector 4 personnel called in. The general location was located in a group of decades old dilapidated factories once owned by a defunct tech company which ultimately got swallowed in the dog eat dog world of megacorporations. Dilapidated factories were few in number and scattered throughout the shadow district compared to the many working ones. Anomaly's waypoint would lead into the factory, the security cameras there were less than maintained and barely worked giving a limited visual on the place. Searching around the place Owl would eventually enter the factor, pushing open the sliding door as he looked into a wide open space of abandoned assembly lines and obsolete models of robotics. It was so dark even Owl's night adapted eyes had limited view of the place, walking along he would look upon rows of dusty abandoned Crystal Corp brand work androids left forever unactivated yet preserved. Even smaller tech companies would often have to buy products from the Megacorps, just like everypony else did hence the power of what was also known as 'Tech Giants'. Hearing a voice behind say

"Don't want you heading into here alone." Owl jumped and looked behind to see Vision there. "Rather you not be alone if you encounter another crazy Cyborg." catching his breath the bat nodded, continuing as they searched the area. The facility was evidently a facility that produced robotics ironically enough, forced to use Crystal Corp products to attempt to carve itself a place in the competitive world of the tech industry. Anomaly would look to find a good amount of hidden programs which led to a heavily encrypted server under the format of Crystal Corp, making a move she went along and cracked the system much to Data's dismay.

"Anomaly what are you doing? We're trying to catch hackers not buck with Crystal Corp's...!"

"Why am I finding a server running from an abandoned building? I don't think they would put such waste into that." the mare said as she looked deeper into the system to reveal an entire running Onion Network with its own online, social sites, and entertainment sites. Shown this Data looked in shock and was then impressed.

"Wow...not bad. Owl, Vissie they got a whole Onion Network running here!"

"Onion Network? In this run-down place? Must be some sort of receiver around here." replied Owl, searching some more

"Maybe we could hire Anomaly permanently into the force and get her to crack down on these cursed onion networks." remarked Vision in the call.

As the two searched the dilapidated factory they decided to look in the most likely place for an InterNet receiver to be present, the command room. Entering the room they eyed the large dormant screens, many chairs, and keyboards of the room where ponies once ran the entire facility's automated systems. Anomaly and Data would indeed trace connections from this very room, it was appearing as if the hackers might not even be there and just set up a Reciever in this place. However, in the corner of his eye Owl would spot a glow of blue light in the darkness, looking quickly owl would get kicked into one of the screens. Vision would draw his weapon, a suppressed CWtech Magnum 700 made for firing .44 magnum rounds with a recoil suppression system. Looking to the eyes he opened fire, blood appearing on the floor before the attacker slipped out of the door. Suddenly, the door out of the room would spring to life, sliding closed and locking. Data and Anomaly's communication link would be cut off suddenly. Data quickly called for backup to the Chief, who wouldn't waste time calling a Sector 4 team. Owl and Vision would look around the room as the screens suddenly came to life, showing a familiar face.

"Well look who's back, it's mister law spy with a friend this time. Seems after taking our potential asset you're using her against us, annoying but luckily we made good use of her before you came in smashing computers like a madpony," said DK, whom Owl responded in a crass angered tone.

"If you're going to ramble on your anarchic nonsense then I suggest you bucking shut it!"

"Well you're not the talker aren't you, what's wrong got bullied into antisocial tendencies in school or something or does working for the midnight blues just insert a stick up you crapper?" Replied DK, taking not a syllable of Owl' wording seriously. "Seems you were smart enough not to head for the obvious place this time." she clapped her hooves. "Progress."

"What are you rocking a gas mask for? Attempting some childish ploy to look scary?" said Vision in a scolding tone of voice an adult his age might give to an irresponsible teen. The mare would laugh and mockingly spit back.

"It's called a creative way to keep anonymous Daaaad. Anyway since you came all this way here I decided to let some more of my friends have some fun with you."

Anomaly would try her best to get into the systems to crack into the systems of this 'DK' hacker, unfortunately, she would soon be met with a message saying. "Nice try, but you got me by surprise last time, not this time~" A hack fight would thus ensue as the two Bats heard noises coming from the vents before the covers popped out, hopping down would be quite the oddity of sights. Mares in maid outfits of all things, outfits of the basic design with a cyberculture twist. Keeping professional despite the ridiculous foes they faced Owl and Vision went back to back before ordering them to stand down, aiming their weapons at the mares. Giggles came as they began to approach, bionic legs visible on their limbs. Owl immediately went on edge upon seeing the bionics, saying.

"Stop now or we will open fire, freeze!" Ordered Owl as it just brought another giggle. Snorting Vision would aim and shoot at the joint of one of the attacking cyber maids, putting a magnum round in between the joint and making the mare topple over. The others, four in total, would pounce at them like panthers pouncing at prey. Both the bats would duck as kicking bionic hooves collided and roll away before taking flight and shooting at the Cyber maids, who rolled bobbed and weaved with great speed making them difficult targets. Using their wings and agility of flight the two evaded the ensuing kicks and punches that would fly at them almost like bullets. The fight was constantly on the move with both sides evading and trying to strike when the other was vulnerable. The four maids were however very coordinated in their teamwork, exploiting it to their advantage as they dashed around, Vision took a kick to the side which knocked the wind out of him before taking a dizzying kick to the head. Seeing Vision fall from his flight Owl remarked to himself. "Data sure as buck better be calling S4!!"

Anomaly found DK to be quite the skilled backer, what she lacked in speed compared to anomaly she made up for in trickery and the kinds of programs she had. Generating duplicates, using sniper rockets, shotgun programs, a large multitude of tricks which overwhelmed Anomaly and her efforts. Data's assistance would only be of partial help as she tried to think of ways to beat this malicious black hat, conventional methods did not seem to work well and her own defensive programs needed upgrading to take on situations like these. Owl ultimately resorted to what he did best and would fly up to the ceilings where he would slip among the exposed ventilation ducts as hiding places. The Cyber Maids would look up to the ventilation ducts, visually searching before hopping up with their powerful legs and climbing along the ducts in search for him. Playful whistles turned frustrated as the bat slipped around the vents with skill to evade their line of sight, one approached and looked around before Owl took her in a choke hold. The stallion kept hold as they both fell to the floor, the mare thrashing with her bionic limbs as he kept a strong hold on her neck. Spotting the struggle one maneuvered around to get behind and strike Owl, reacting quickly he threw the Cyber Maid straight into her ally's kick. A sickening snap ensued as the neck of the unfortunate cyborg was snapped in an instant, gasping the attacking maid looked to Owl and tried to evade. Ten-millimeter rounds pierced the side of her neck, punched a hole in her voice box, and dislodged one cybernetic eye as a bullet entered her skull. Reloading his pistol owl looked to the remaining two who stood back in shock.

"Last chance to stand down, belly on the floor and forelegs behind back!" Owl ordered, aiming his weapon at the two remaining ones, keeping an eye on the one with the jammed leg as well. Even in their bionic eyes with irises like the headlights of an autocarriage, emotion showed in a mix of anger and sadness. Suddenly he would see small tubes shoot out from their bionic limbs, steadily shooting out some sort of gas with a hiss. Vision would wake up with a groan as Owl ordered "Stop or I'll use deadly force!" the remaining two mobile Cyber Maids quickly darted around, Owl opening fire and Vision quickly picking up his weapon to shoot as well. A Cyber maid would dash past Owl, shooting the gas in his face as he attempted to shoot, the other attempting the same with Vision. While Vision successfully evaded the gas attack Owl coughed as his vision blurred and he started to feel woozy. Vision flew up to his friend and aimed at the dashing maids, attempting to take shots at their heads before reloading his gun. Seizing the opportunity they both dashed up to the bat and shot gas at his face, making him cough and blindly fire at them. The gas strangely had a sweet scent and did not seem to cause effects of any toxic gas, the effects seemed more hypnotic and mind altering. Owl struggled to aim his gun as one approached with a sway in the hips, smirking as she saw the stallion try to fight back a strange feeling of desire upon seeing the mare approach. He started to faintly realize that what was used was not some toxic gas, it was some sort of modified aphrodisiac drug. "Curses Chief the S4 better be coming." He said before he was suddenly grabbed from behind then flipped back, smashing his head into the floor.

An artificial doorway was erected on the ceiling via a charge before Sector 4 personnel dropped in and searched the area, bullet holes were all over the place and two pistols could be found on the ground along with the bodies of two dead cyborgs in cyberculture maid outfits. The whole abandoned factory was searched extensively, but no sign of anypony else. Strangely enough, the bodies could not be identified not a single record of these ponies seemed to exist. More searching ensued to find no sign of Owl and Vision, DK slipped away from the hack fight against Anomaly and Data. Anomaly did not think she would have struggled so much against a hacker, then realized she was possibly going to have to acquire more of these hacker programs and tricks. Before she could request some from Data news of Owl and Vision' disappearance made Data panic a storm. The durability of the keys of her keyboard was tested as she searched the network for any sign of her friends, running afoul of many of the hackers running it forcing Anomaly to help in what would be yet another ensuing hack fight.

Meanwhile, sometime later as the search for them carried on throughout the shadow district Owl and Vision would be chained to a wall on makeshift shackles of hoofcuffs and chains. Some bleeding marks on their disrobed bodies as they panted and struggled, neither knew where in Equestria they were. The cyber maids stood before them, holding thin whips of metal cord with steel ball weights at the end.

"Killed our friends." "We won't even kill you for that." "Death is too good for you." "We'll make you our toys instead." said the two of them, both following up eachother's sentences in quick succession. Vision scowled and gritted his teeth as he said to them.

"Feel tainted that you even touched me, I have a wife you fetishist psychos!"

"You're gonna have to go lesbian once S4 gets here, cause the only ponies to buck around with you'll have will be your cellmates!" said Owl as he struggled against the cuffs.

"Brave words from a brave stallion." "You're deep underground in a hidden city of underground bunkers." "Good luck to your fellow lawmates finding this place." Said the maids with a smirk to eachother.

"City of bunkers? What the buck are you talking about?" Asked Owl as he looked around the barely lit room. "Even if this place is underground like like there won't be a way for them to find you, especially if you use the InterNet!"

"Whatcha hiding down here? Drug production, pony trafficking, hiding the cyberterrorists here?" Asked Vision sternly, to which the maids both giggled and replied.

"First one yes," "Second no," "Third one, well..." "If you speak of the freedom fighters you would be correct."

"You think you can just kidnap royal personnel and take them here?? You may have just bucked your littler secret operation." Owl spat back at them. "Even if you kill us right now you won't escape justice, heat's on your tails and it'll burn all of you immoral crazies."

"You think this is just some stereotypical dark evil lair don't you?" "Did we not call it a city?" "I think we might want to give them a tour, let them know that it's not all bucked up things." "Not all things like us?" the other giggled. "Yes." Vision snorted as they were both fitted with some sort of collar before having the shackles removed. "Try anything." "And we'll subdue you with lots of volts." both of them pulled out small remotes which they wrapped in their tails. "Follow us, don't wander off please." Groaning the two bats got up and followed the cyber maids.

"And what alias do you hide behind?" Asked Owl, to which they replied.

"I am Black Daisy." "I am Yellow Jessamine." "These aren't aliases." "These are birth names of ponies born beyond your system."

Walking out of the room they would go into large tunnels reinforced with concrete rings and lit with neon lights. Evidently, the tunnels were bored with large earth drilling machines, whatever ponies building them evidently having a lot of digibits and resources. Multiple doors could be found along it, some with cyberculture and tech junkie types hanging outside smoking e-cigars. Lots of ventilation entrances and shafts could be found down the hall and into the large atrium type area with a multitude of traditional bazaar-style markets selling a number of different things. Things ranging from electronic parts, E-cigar oils, one even selling homemade candy strangely enough. Owl looked around to find the place was surprisingly less shady than he expected. A warm glow of neon lights of various colors washed over every place, while ponies seemed to be interacting and hanging out casually. Vision himself was suspicious though somewhat surprised at how things seemed almost civil to him, minus the mountains of evidence of illegal activity. Lots of armed ponies kept watch, evidently the guards of the place. One open door in the wall of the atrium seemed to lead into a nightclub judging by the pounding music and dancing ponies, another led into a place where fillies and colts played around with 3D pens. The last one intrigued Owl quite a bit, the children present did not appear abused nor malnourished. They simply played around with the pens surrounded by piles of coiled plastic to feed into the pens, feeding wild imaginations as everything from dragons to superheroes were made. Seeing such civil things alongside illegal and comparatively uncivil things and markets was a surreal experience for both Owl and Vision. Soon enough they were led to the entrance of a bunker, where the Cyber Maids said..

"This is where the peacekeepers of Earthsdale reside." "I'm sure Sharp will be interested in speaking to Law Spies."

"Earthsdale?" Asked Owl, who then thought about it and realized such a name was not unfitting for this place. His mind then pondered possibilities of interrogating this 'Sharp' fellow if given opportunity to speak with them. Taken into the place they would soon enough enter a room where a griffin with heavy amounts of bionic implants was present. Looking to them the griffin asked.

"What in the..? What are you bringing a couple of disrobed bats in here for?"

"Law enforcement types." "Spies we captured." "We thought we'd show them around." "Then let you talk with them."

"Could you get their clothing and let them hide their marks from your 'fun'?" the griffin asked, he himself was more around Vision's age and had a somewhat grizzled look. The maids both gave a whine before he said. "No complaints, I ain't talking till they are out of the birthday suits." begrudgingly Owl and Vision's captors exited and came back with their attire. Now dressed the Gryphon spoke "Were you sent to assassinate them by DK or something?" they nodded with a giggle.

"We were instead planning on keeping them as our own little 'toys' but sadly we lost a couple of our..."

"Just 'cause they're spies don't mean they aren't armed and able to kill, especially the bats." He then looked to the both of them and pointed to a couch. "Have a seat, I'm curious how a talk with some law ponies might go. Your names? Mine is Sharp"

"Owl, So you run this place?" Asked Owl, kicking his mind into verbal interrogation mode, intent on learning as much as he could.

"In a way, mainly just keep the peace here, tell any who intend to start a fight to take it in private. You're the first royal type to enter here, few less than loyal police have hung around and did business on occasion but you're the first of the royal police to be here."

"Name's Night, trying to run some criminal utopia here? Some society free from laws and regulations?" asked Vision, looking into the gryphon's eyes intent on interrogating as well.

"Some for the ponies that can't live in your society, homeless types who couldn't find employment, counterculture types who feel restricted in public society," Sharp replied

"Poverty is down to near zero percent." Said Vision in reply, sensing an attempt by this Griff to make himself look good.

Sharp laughed "Even you're fooled by that propaganda? There's a lot of poverty, but I can see why the deception works on you both."

"What deception?" Owl asked with a raised eyebrow of skepticism.

Sharp replied "Well back in the industrial days the homeless could be seen begging on the streets, nowadays not so much anymore. You know why? Cause in the underground, both the figurative and literal one here comes opportunities for those bucked over by the mainstream job market. Nowhere else to go desperate for work but none to be found, do you think ponies in such a situation would let legality starve them? Those who fall from the public civil society simply get scooped up by the gangs and syndicates. It's a win win really, gang gets new recruits and homeless ponies get jobs, homes and food."

Tensing up at these claims, Owl found them unbelievable yet in some sense believable. He went on to ask "What's causing so much poverty if there's plenty of jobs to be found?"

"Factories don't need as many ponies to run them, lotta things don't need ponies in the age of robots and working androids. Why pay weekly for workers when robots work better and need only a cheap monthly maintenance. Not to mention can work 24 hours of Celestia and luna's rounds, and keep working on their next rounds. Not everypony can work computers, those that can't are finding fewer and fewer jobs."

Owl pondered what Sharp said, wondering if such a low poverty rate is really an just impossibly optimistic illusion to such a grim reality. Vision would snort and ask "Can you prove these outlandish claims? Are you saying good ponies are joining gangs and criminal syndicates? Not a bucking chance, decent ponies don't turn to such shady and slimy methods of income."

"Believe what you will mister Night, I am simply stating the facts that I see." Sharp simply replied, not phased by the tone of accusation emitting from Vision's voice.

"Did those kids I saw on the way here come from families in poverty?" Owl would ask sharp, to which the Gryphon would reply.

"That and loss of parents."

"Are you housing ponies from the group known as the 'Freedom Fighters'?" asked Vision, seeking to get things back into proper verbal interrogation.

"What if we are? You going to try and hunt them down, storm this whole place and take away what is the whole lives of these ponies and gryphons? Arrest them and whatever sentence they have they'll likely be right back in the underground once released.

Owl stared into Sharp's eyes, sensing some evasion and thus evidence that they might indeed be holding cyberterrorists. He also however sensed some sincerity in the statement afterward. Owl would then follow with the question "Do you support their cause, one evident of total governmental overthrow? If not are you concerned for the lives of ponies who are in this place."

Sharp would reply "We don't really give a buck about their cause, most of us anyway. Some ponies in here do, mostly the ones who couldn't enter the peace and luxury of your civilization. I'll admit I don't blame ponies for keeping under your system, underground's not a safe place. Lesser risks of theft or death, I myself though I have certain issues with the dishonesty of your system can't say I feel too sorry for the ponies kept in its restrictive."

Vision was taken aback by this, and looked into Sharp's eyes to try to detect some attempts at charismatic manipulation or lies. His visual search came up empty, and he could only ask "You're not in total opposition to our system?"

"Compared to tarturian holes like Gryphonstone it's paradise." Sharp laughed a bit "There's at least some civility in some places here, lot more than there. Ever since the war's start and end over 30 years ago Gryphonstone has gone down the toilet and into the sewer."

Looking to Owl, Vision's look was one of surprise, the response was nothing like what he could have ever predicted even as an I&I veteran. Owl would then ponder on what to say next, he kept in mind that they were in a disadvantaged situation and that force was not an option. Ultimately he decided to say to Sharp "Keeping these 'freedom fighter' types here will put your whole community here at a risk. With their activities they may be tracked here, resulting in armed police besieging this place. If you would wish to avert that, I would suggest allowing us to deal with them in exchange for not compromising your location here."

The Cyber Maids looked not pleased, Jessamine saying. "We won't compromise this place, the freedom fighters have great skill in keeping hidden from the system's enforcers."

"If you were we wouldn't have tracked hackers of yours to the Shadow District." Owl pointed, out, getting the shock collar activated in reply as he convulsed. Sharp looked skeptically to the maids, taking some time to think things through. The maids both tried their hardest to convince him that the FF wouldn't compromise them.

"If you were uncompromisable these two wouldn't be here in the first place, clearly they came into the shadow district looking for ponies like you. If you could drag them into hear that means you caught some heat, and if they came looking close enough for you to drag them into here then we might have a problem." Looking to his guards Sharp directed them. "Knock 'em out." the cyber maids looked in shock as one took the stock of a gun to the head while the other was choked unconscious by a pony's bionic limb. Looking to the two he would hold out his bionic talon as out from the palm a wirecutter type attachment came. Grabbing Owl's collar he cut straight through the wires and reinforced plastic, then doing the same to Vision. The unconscious maids were dragged out of their, smirks on the faces of the guards.

Vision did not look very pleased with Owl, not too happy that he made a death with the one harboring illegal operations. Owl would ask Sharp "Where are the 'freedom fighters'?"

"I'll tell you once I detail the deal we'll have. You deal with the Freedom Fighter types, but you can't leave this place till you do. Once you do deal with them we'll have you knocked out and left on the surface. You get to bring your little justice to ponies you've indicted, minimal risk of you bucking us all over. Is that a Deal?"

"Why are you letting us deal with them? Don't you have thugs to take care of it?"

"I'd rather not let them know I've decided to buck them over, either kill them or knock them out so we can package them with you on your way out of here," Sharp said, telling a guard to give them their Wrist computers. "You'll have access only to the networks in Earthsdale unless you have the hacking skill to hack into the receiver. I recommend not trying that though." on his own wrist computer Sharp would tap away and give them a waypoint. "There's the locations, do what you will with them then come back here. Your exit will be arranged then."

Owl nodded, and thus he and Vision would walk out of the bunker and back into the atrium market. Vision would whisper harshly to Owl "Are you seriously going to cooperate with one who's harboring a whole cesspool of criminality here?? Helping out a criminal??"

"Gimme a better idea, we're unarmed and surrounded by armed ponies Vision." Owl would reply looking back.

"We should find a way out of here, there's vents so that should mean an easy stealthy rout out of here. We get out and mark the location of this place so Sector 4 can storm it."

"We shouldn't be taking any risks of getting shot Vision, we came to deal with Cyberterrorists and that is what we can do here."

"We're I&I, not S4, our main duty is to spy on criminals not go for direct apprehension unless given no other choice!" Vision whispered back.

"We can deal with the situation of what's down here some other time, right now we should focus on doing what we can. We'll sneak into whatever quarters they have, knock out the FF hackers, and go on with the deal so we have some ponies to interrogate. Ponies that could be killed should a raid come."

Snorting some Vision said, "You have a point...fine but I'm not planning on letting this place stay secret."

Looking to a vent, and to the waypoint on his Wrist computer Owl would say to Vision "We can still use the vents however, use them to sneak to our targets.

Author's Note:

Hoping this might prove a more interesting chapter for some readers.