I walked down the bustling streets of Net City, my mind turning over the information that Bass had said to me not twenty minutes earlier. Plans had been stolen, but what was the connection? ShadowMan was a solo Navi, and Dimensional Areas could only be used by a Navi and a Net Op.

Plus there was the fact that he deliberately withheld information from higher ups. That's a serious violation of code! Course, I know that I should be used to breaking rules by now, after being with Star and Bass for so long. But I've been following orders for a longer period of time than that, so I guess old habits do die-hard. Reaching the Net Agent HQ building, I entered and was greeted by the receptionist, a female Navi by the name of Aquarius. EXE, but she was called Aqua by everyone. She grinned at my approach. "Oh! ProtoMan, you're back. Mr. Famous wants to see you in his office right away."

I nodded and headed right up. Mr. Famous' office wasn't really an office. It was just a hologram projector that allowed me to have a direct link to the human world. Well, as direct as a hologram gets. Mr. Famous turned to look at me from behind his familiar sunglasses. "Ah, ProtoMan. It's good to see you." He said in his familiar British accent. "I trust you met with Bass and Starfire?"

Slowly, I nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Report then."

Taking a deep breath, I began a summarized version of our meeting. "Bass has been inspecting the theft of the Dimensional Area technology and believes that ShadowMan may have stolen them. For what purpose, we do not know. Starfire is headed to the scene of the crime with Sam to gather information while Bass is headed to ShadowMan's old hideout to see what he can find there."

Leaning back in his chair, Mr. Famous seemed to digest this information. "ProtoMan, you've done well. I'm going to keep you on the ShadowMan case."

I nodded my head. "Thank you Mr. Famous."

"Just Famous. But there is one thing I'd like you to do for me."

Curious, I nodded yet again. "Sure."

"If you could, I'd like you to keep an eye on Starfire and Bass."

Involuntarily I felt my eyes widen in shock. "Keep an eye on them sir?" I asked, puzzled. "But why?"

Mr. Famous kicked his feet up onto his desk. "Bass is still a freelance, a rouge, one we can't fully control. Starfire is his sister and is the same way. We don't know if they'll go maverick on us or not. I want you to watch them and if they're acting funny, report to me at once."

I tried to appeal to the net battler's better nature. "But sir, I know Starfire and Bass. I have fought along side them and I will agree, both are strong willed, but they would never betray us!"

Sitting up a little straighter, Mr. Famous looked at me intensely. "ProtoMan, I am your superior. When I give the order, you will follow it. Do I make myself clear?"

Opening my mouth, I had half a mind to argue, but then I shut it and sighed. "Yes Mr. Famous."

He nodded and turned his attention to some paperwork. "Good. You're dismissed."

As I made my way to my own office, I felt terrible. Forced to make reports on my friends! Sitting down at my desk, I opened a drawer and pulled out a picture of Starfire.

Her golden blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and her blue eyes sparkled like diamonds. The picture had been originally taken for a file that was kept on her. A file was kept for every official in active service. The picture was supposed to be serious, but the way Starfire smiled her cheery little smile it seemed like she could've been at the beach. Star could make anything except a funeral happy. And even then, I was pretty sure she could get someone to laugh at a funeral.

Cupping my chin in my hand, I stared at the picture. How could I spy on the person I loved? She and Bass were good people, and they would never betray us. It was at that moment when I did something that I thought that I would never do in my whole life.

I decided to disobey a direct order.

Yes, Mr. Famous was my superior, but that gave him no right to make my spy on my friends. If anything, he was going to know less about them than when this whole thing started. I slid the picture back into the drawer and shut it. It was time for me to get down to work.