Missing Persons

"I can't believe we lost the bet." Jones lamented for the umpteenth time as he shuffled the papers in front of his seat into order. His competitive spirit didn't like the underhanded feeling to how Organized Crimes and Missing Persons had gotten them to agree to an arrangement where the other teams were withholding information causing them to lose.

"It's a bet, Jones. We only have to take them on in two rounds of this laser tag." Hughes grumbled as he settled into his seat at the head of the conference room table. The task force had been a long operation and everyone was tired from the effort they'd exerted to ensure everything ended smoothly.

"True, but it galls to feel coerced into a challenge. I'm certain we'll win, but I don't like how they didn't reveal their source until after we'd agreed." Diana agreed with Jones as she curled into her seat. She was as tired as the rest of them and just wanted to sleep.

Yawning, Peter didn't have much to add to it as he tried to work on the form in front of him. "I was in the field, so I've only heard about this after the fact, but I'm with Jones and Diana. This feels like they're trying to make it a competition, a way to make themselves feel superior since it was our team who handled the heavy lifting in the field for this operation."

"Don't forget, it was us who solved the stolen prayer book case and related murder and us who found the missing girl on the first cases I was around for with their teams. They seemed to be looking for a win to me too." Neal added from where his head was laid against the back of his chair while his feet were up on the table. He looked like he was ready to take a nap.

Chuckling softly, Hughes had to admit their logic. "Well, they did propose a trophy as the prize for the winning team. If they beat us, they plan to compete to see which team ultimately gets it."

"I vote to put it in Hughes office, as a team achievement he can brag about, or maybe Peter's? He likes his crossword puzzle trophies, corrected me when I missed one." Neal added after a yawn of his own.

"The competition is to be the five of us against five of each of their teams on two separate weekends. There is a laser tag arena in an extreme sports facility not too far from here. It would be fairly easily accessible for all of us." Diana noted as she typed on a computer.

"We've got a week to complete the paperwork from this case and get some rest. However, we aren't supposed to practice as this is about the skills we've already got. I think it's a good thing we're going up against Missing Persons first. They haven't worked with us much, but we've crossed over with Organized Crimes more than once in the money laundering cases." Jones added as he finished stacking the papers. He was too tired to try and tackle filling in all of the data. It would wait until morning once he'd had a few hours of sleep to run on.

"Run the facility past the other teams in the morning, Diana make sure we've got a set location and times. I don't want to be accused of forfeit due to misinformation or confusion. Competition doesn't belong in the field, but we've been challenged outside of the field, so we're going to do our best." Hughes added to the conversation before smiling at their surprised expressions. "Don't think I can't be competitive." Then he dismissed them with a wave as he got up. "I'm going to head home and get some sleep. The paperwork can wait until morning. I suggest the rest of you do the same."

Giving up on his form, Peter slapped Neal's feet off of the table jerking him awake. "Let's go, I'll drop you off at Junes on my way."

"See you in the morning." Neal rubbed his eyes to help himself wake up before getting up to walk out with Peter while the other agents closed down their areas of the table to follow shortly after.

Standing in the lobby of the sports facility, Neal's black attire helped him to blend in with the wall he was leaning against. He'd arrived particularly early to begin scoping out the facility and ensure he was as prepared as possible for the coming game. Sure, it was just a challenge off of the field to settle some internal competition, but it was still a challenge and he wasn't going to allow the other teams any further unfair advantage.

The rules of the challenge were clear. They weren't to practice in advance, everyone was to dress normally, and they were going to play two extended games utilizing the facility's game rules for the arena. There was no mention of anything to prohibit arriving early to scope out the map of the arena and strategize, so that is precisely what Neal had done. With several key hiding spots in mind and a familiarity with the layout, he was ready to go and simply had to wait for the rest of the competitors to arrive.

Hughes was next to arrive with the same idea in mind. He stood with his hands behind his back while he memorized the general layout of the arena floor map. Being an old-school veteran, he wasn't going to risk his team for lack of awareness, and as Neal had noted, there was nothing in the rules against it. When he finished and moved away to get a drink while waiting for the others, Neal was able to keep easy tabs on him due to his white hair and matching generic white t-shirt.

Peter was the third to arrive and he also checked over the map in preparation for the coming challenge. He was a protégé of Hughes and he'd been taught to always prepare as much as possible. It appeared that Elizabeth had directed him in his wardrobe. The agent wasn't much more familiar with laser tag than Hughes was, but he'd at least worn a less conspicuous gray shirt sporting his favorite college along with his jeans.

It wasn't as easy to track Peter through the crowd until he joined up with Hughes, then they were both easy to keep track of as Hughes' shirt stood out under the black lights.

Jones and Diana arrived at the same time not too long after Peter, but they didn't spend as much time studying the map as the previous agents had. Their attire was also something in between Peter's and Hughes'. Diana wore a shirt with a saying on it that popped in the lights while Jones had a shirt that wasn't bureau issue but it said FBI with something underneath. This made them both easier and harder to see as they popped in the lights but blended into the crowds more easily as they moved to find the rest of the team.

With everyone else assembled, Neal moved from his position in the shadows smirking to himself that the team had walked right past him. Approaching the table everyone had gathered at, he moved to stand behind Peter as the agent checked his tracking data.

"He's here, and has been for a while according to this when I move backward through the timeline." Peter had his phone out and was toying with the tracking app trying to gauge where Neal was.

"What's he been doing for so long?" Diana asked from where she sat across the table.

"I've been watching you all as you walked right past me," Neal spoke up causing Peter to jump slightly and close the app.

"Yep, he was right behind me," Peter muttered while pulling the chair beside him out. "Sit down, Neal."

Taking the proffered seat, Neal took his place and caught up on the plan the others had come up with while he'd observed from across the room.

Diana used a mixture of their drinks and the napkin holder on the table to organize the plan for Neal and to provide visual for the rest of them. "So, Peter is to take point leading us across the room, Hughes is second point watching his back, then Jones wings him while I wing Peter. Neal, you're to remain behind as support and to guard the base just in case someone gets past us. This way we're covering offensive and defensive positions."

Grabbing the napkin holder and removing his position from the table, Neal tried to prevent Rice from seeing where he was going to be as he sensed her approach.

"What, you don't trust me to know your role in the coming game? Agent Rice asked Neal from behind him.

"There aren't any ransoms with my name on them are there?" Neal hinted to why he didn't trust her as he turned to observe her green shirt and bright red hair in the lighting.

"Neal." Hughes indicated for him to be silent while Rice flippantly said she had apologized before moving on to asking if they'd checked in yet.

"No, we were waiting for everyone to arrive before we checked in," Peter stated while gesturing for everyone to move for the desk and get checked in. This way they could get set up and start towards their turn in the arena.

Following, Rice introduced the agents that had been chosen from her team as they checked in. Hector Matar was shorter than most of his fellow agents with black hair and a darker skin tone which combined with his charcoal shirt made him harder to spot in the dark. The next agent to sign in was James Mcree. He was more average in height with medium hair and a paler complexion which helped make him more visible like his red shirt. Jocelyn Mosholder followed and was a lithe figured bleach blonde wearing a tight blue tank top that showed off her physique. Bringing up the rear, Kaleb Ramnarase had a dark green Henley on that stretched across his broad chest while Neal had to look up in order to see his shaved head and dark eyes. Clearly, Rice had chosen the agents she thought would have the best speed, strength, and general field skills to defeat the White Collar team.

Following suit, the White Collar team signed in and introduced themselves to ensure everyone knew who was who.

Then everyone took their game cards over to a row of computers where they filled out files with their information, got their picture taken, and chose code names for the game.

Choosing an old nickname from another life, Neal chose to place himself as Nemesis. No one in the FBI knew anything of his history or where the name came from so it was likely to bring up questions, but he felt it suited so it was worth the risk.

With that done, they had a few moments for any last preparations before the associate called them in for their turn in the arena.

When it was just about time for their game to start, the associate called their group to follow her into the first room. There, she started the instruction and informational video for them to watch while she slipped into the next room to end the running game clearing the arena.

Standing around with the rest of them, Peter watched as various people demonstrated each rule. Like the others, he took note of the general details.

There was to be no running, no physical contact, no climbing, and no crouching or lying down. They were advised to be careful maneuvering around in the dimly lit environment and to notify the staff if any of them had a preexisting condition that could be triggered by the arena. Then the video went into the general workings of the equipment.

Each player would be wearing a vest with sensors on their chest, shoulders, back, and lasers while the lasers would only work if they retained two hands on the grips. One hand supported the weapon and could also switch on the rapid-fire while the other controlled the general trigger. To score, a player would shoot their laser at an opposing player's sensor and pull the trigger with one hit being one point. When hit, their gun would sound and shut down with their sensors for three seconds providing time for them to evade their opponent before sounding back on for them to rejoin the game. Their game was going to be an hour long with team focus so they could gain points for shots made while losing points for hits taken either to their personal sensors or to the team base.

With the end of the video, the associate returned to guide them into the next room where two rows of vests and laser guns hung from charging stations.

Checking the screen, Peter skimmed over the names looking for his code name, archeologist, before finding his assigned vest number. His vest was blue to match the rest of his team while Missing Persons were all putting on vests with red sensor lights. Cinching or loosening the straps as needed, he made the necessary adjustments to make the vest fit and then picked up his laser shifting it into position.

Once everyone was ready, the associate opened the door and allowed them to enter the arena with instructions that everyone had to collect at their appropriate base before the game would begin.

Mimicking many of the other agents, Peter paused just inside the entrance for a moment to allow himself to adjust. The atmosphere was dimly lit with black lights highlighting the neon accents on the obstacles and all through the carpet. It smelled a little musty and seemed to have dust floating through the air highlighted by the lighting system.

After a moment for his eyes to adjust, Peter moved to wind his way through the obstacles for the central area on the opposite side to where the red vests were going. Finding the blue base, he stood loosely waiting for the rest of his team to catch up so that the game could start.

Coming up behind him, Diana questioned Neal's choice in a code name, "Nemesis?"

Intrigued, Peter wondered what Neal's answer would be.

"It's a name from another life and a nickname from someone a long time ago. Care to explain yours, Foxy?" Neal answered and turned the teasing right back on her while he was aiming his gun at the wall and shifting his position like he was testing something.

"Devious and smart," Peter could hear the grin in her voice right before the music blared to block further conversation and the countdown clock began.

It was time to focus on the game.

Reaching the end of ten, Peter led the offensive by heading out into the obstacles first. Although he didn't hear them over the noise, he knew Hughes was to his side while Jones and Diana were winging them per their plan. Neal, he hopefully obeyed orders and remained to protect the base, but it was difficult to tell if Neal would do as he was told or not.

Unable to question, Peter put his focus into dodging through the obstacles. He kept his eyes and ears open, but the noise helped to cover the sounds of movement while the dim lights helped hide people if they peaked around an obstacle for a look.

Walking into a trap, Peter didn't see the lit up sensors of the opposing teams' guns until they were coming out from multiple angles to take the shots. They were in front of him and to both sides so he was quickly hit and forced to retreat while his sensors were off.

Using his three seconds, Peter waived the others back to prevent them from being shot as well and to allow them a chance to regroup and form a counter plan. Rice got the first hit, but they would get the last.

Signaling from his position, Hughes directed Jones and Diana to approach from one flank while he and Peter would take the other. He used his experience to break the trap and force Rice's team to pull back their outer agents and reform their approach.

Nodding and leading the way, Peter understood the strategy and knew Hughes would have his back.

Weaving through the obstacles for the wall to surprise attack, Peter could hear the sounds of sensors being hit and shutting down so he figured the others had found their targets and the strategy was working.

Then as he continued to search for an opponent, Peter realized that the sounds were coming from the middle of the room, where they hadn't been engaging the other team.

Moving out with Hughes, he wondered if they could back Jones and Diana up to squeeze Rice's agents back towards their base.

Reaching the middle, they met the other two and saw some of their opponents retreating back into obstacles on the other side of the room. Assuming their strategy was working, they banded together and progressed into enemy territory.

Weaving through the obstacles, Peter reached the red base and waved his hands for the team to form a circle of protection while Diana began shooting the base as quickly as she could to rack up points for their team.

Hearing her sensors shut down after she was hit, Peter knew someone needed to take over, but Jones quickly leaped into position and took over shooting the base from another angle while Peter and Hughes engaged their attackers trying to keep them at bay.

Noticing that there weren't a large number of attackers, it dawned on Peter just as their base alarm went off that the other team had also split up for offensive and defensive maneuvers. Pausing for a moment, he listened to the alarm wondering if Neal would be able to handle the situation or not. Then the sound stopped so he knew Neal had taken care of whoever was attacking him on the other side of the room.

Then the buzzer sounded and the round was done marking the first quarter of the overall game.

Turning to walk across the room, Hughes was in the position to lead their procession back to base for a brief reprieve before round two would begin.

Along the way, they listened to the scores and in passing some of the red team, Missing Persons promised to do better next time rectifying their loss.

Arriving at the base, they found Neal coolly standing by and observing the rankings in their screen.

"You're the top score for both teams?" Jones questioned Neal as Nemesis ranked the highest points for shots accumulated. Not even Diana or Jones who had fired on the enemy base could quite keep up with him.

"I guess they tried really hard to get our base," Neal smirked while not sharing how he'd racked up the shots.

Unable to question him anymore, the team focused as the countdown for round two started and they were soon engaged in the game again.

This time, Hughes signaled for Jones and Diana to go up each side of the area while Peter was to go up the middle. Neal was waived away while Hughes opted to stand guard and ensure the safety of the base. Mixing up their approach ensured that the other team wouldn't know what they were doing and it would give their team a different way to infiltrate the other side to reach the base.

Feeling a bit tired from the adrenaline, Hughes figured remaining in a smaller space and only guarding three directions would give him a slight break.

Noticing the hint of a sensor through a gap in one of the obstacles, he prepared to fire as soon as the opponent showed themselves, but instinct caused him to look in the other direction just in time to duck back and avoid being shot. He had at least two endeavoring to gang up on him.

Keeping watch through the gaps, he noticed that both agents were hit one after the other before they could reach him or their team base. Someone else was around backing him up.

Looking, Hughes didn't spot Caffrey anywhere in the surrounding obstacles and a glance up across the second level didn't show the light of sensors. Wherever he had tucked himself away, Neal was doing very well at guerrilla warfare. Something he and the rest of the team should take advantage of in the next round.

Focusing back on his task, Hughes caught an opponent coming up the middle and chose to wait for a moment in order to gain a better shot before giving his location away by firing on them.

Taking his aim, he shot Mosholder's laser sensor as a blonde bunch of hair splayed out as she retreated behind an obstacle.

Hearing the sound of the enemy base being fired upon again, he knew his team had reached their goal, but the bursts of shots that followed and the silencing of the base alarm indicated that they were confronted by enough opponents to hinder their efforts.

Unable to go to their aid, Hughes held the base and hoped they would be able to regroup sufficiently enough to handle the attack.

The buzzer sounded again and the second round was complete.

As they returned to base, Jones heard the announcement that they were the winners again while the screen showed Neal as the top shot once more. They would seriously have to question him to find out how he was achieving more points than a bunch of trained FBI agents and him being ex-military to boot.

Doing just that, Hughes was confronting Neal when he got back. "How are you racking up the points so much, Caffrey?"

Shrugging, Neal smiled. "Someone once told me the importance of having an eye in the sky. It's easier to fire on them from above and I can both guard our base and cover your backs while moving about to shoot anyone in sight."

"Keep it up," Peter approved.

Jones knew Peter was seeing the wisdom in the strategy that while they covered the larger space on the ground level Neal could easily cover their backs from above.

With their time up, they dispersed again.

This time Jones took the lead taking Peter up the side of the arena while Hughes and Diana roamed the area around their base. Changing the leadership changed the approach and strategy so Rice and her agents wouldn't be able to guess or predict their actions based on how Peter or Hughes thought as this time the junior agents were making the calls.

Waving his fingers, Jones signaled Peter to flank him along the wall as they slipped up the edge trying to avoid detection.

Hearing a sensor shut off behind them, they both turned to see Matar moving to get out of the line of sight of whoever had shot him. Looking up, they just barely saw Neal's position based on knowing what angle to start out from and that he was dressed in black and watching from above.

Looking at each other, Jones saw that Peter agreed with him in that they had underestimated Neal.

Shrugging and trusting Neal to continue to watch their backs, Jones signaled for them to move, but shifted across the center heading for the opposing wall to avoid being found on the same path they'd been pursuing before.

Reaching the red base, Peter opened fire while Jones covered his back trying to prevent anyone from getting the drop on him.

Rice ducked out to fire at Jones, and while he was endeavoring to fire back, Mcree moved to shoot Jones and then Peter taking them both out.

Retreating back, Jones was impressed by Rice's ploy, but he knew Peter didn't appreciate his people sacrificing themselves as it could mean death in the field. Still, in the gaming atmosphere, it wasn't a bad move.

Pausing for a moment, Jones came up with a counter plan and soon signaled Peter to follow him around to where they'd come up behind Rice and Mcree. Catching them off guard, they opened fire hitting their signals and forcing them to retreat to new hiding places.

Engaging back and forth, they were too occupied with their exchange of shots to bother going after the base again.

With the buzzer signaling the end of round three, the teams retreated back to their respective bases again.

Listening to the conversations as the red team left and her fellow teammates returned, Diana realized that Neal's strategy was a huge boost to their team's game. Even when they struggled on the ground level, Neal's sniping continuously put them in the lead. They needed to act on that.

Coming up with a new strategy, she took charge for the last round and the others followed her lead.

"Neal, take Hughes up into the upper level with you this time. If one guards each side, we might be able to do more damage than having you bounce around covering the entire level alone. I'll, protect the base working with one of you from above. Jones, you and Peter are going to head for their base again trying to keep them occupied down here." She directed them on how they were going to approach the final round. So far they'd won every time and were leading, but each round the Missing Person's team got closer to them and were harder to defeat.

Finally, the last round began so they divided up to their tactics.

Remaining by the base, Diana watched as everyone else moved away disappearing into the hazy atmosphere of darkness and neon lights. While she watched looking for the sensors, which was the primary indicator of an approaching opponent, she caught the glimpse of one moving above her.

Recognizing the white tee-shirt of Hughes' she knew the boss was her back up while Neal was taking the other side where he could shoot down through the central opening, guard the approach, and support Peter and Jones on the offensive.

Seeing Hughes taking aim, she focused on the direction he was looking at in preparation for a ground assault headed her way.

Catching a glimpse as a big bulk wearing a dark green shirt dodged between obstacles, she knew Ramnarase was making his approach from one direction, but that likely meant that there was someone trying to sneak up behind her.

Spinning around, Diana hit the person sneaking up behind her before the shock of red hair could retreat behind the obstacle. So, Ramnarase was acting as the distraction while Rice was making the real attack.

Moving to circle around, Diana came up behind where Rice was looking to shoot at her and shot the agent's sensors again just after they turned back on.

Ducking away, Diana found a new position and popped up behind again surprising Rice as she was looking for a new angle of approach.

Forced to retreat, Rice moved further away from their base and appeared to be giving up for the moment.

Hearing the sounds of combat as Hughes exchanged fire with Ramnarase, Diana moved to begin working on the target as well.

Retreating back to the rear wall, she followed the open path on the opposite side of where Hughes was firing at with the intention of coming up behind her opponent.

Checking each row carefully, she spotted Ramnarase by his sensors showing through a gap in the obstacles. The gaps allowed for protective firing, but they also allowed more ways to see an opponent endeavoring to hide

Bracing her hand, Diana took aim, fired, and missed. Puzzled, she wasn't one to miss her targets, but the sound of her laser firing had alerted Ramnarase to her presence so he turned and started firing at her which left him more open to Hughes' shots and one got through the gap hitting the sensors taking Ramnarase out for a few seconds.

Backing up, Ramnarase retreated to regroup as his location was under attack and he was alone.

With the space to herself, Diana was able to prowl around the areas surrounding their base but she also glanced up towards her counterparts frequently to see if there was anything they were seeing that she was missing.

Looking up again, instead of seeing Hughes taking a shot at someone endeavoring to sneak up on her, she noticed a shock of red hair attempting to sneak up on him. Before she could take action though, Rice's sensors went black and the signal sounded that she'd been hit. Neal had taken her out.

Diana smirked while Hughes shifted position to better defend himself in case Rice wanted to continue to pursue her approach when her sensors and laser reactivated.

Seeing where Ramnarase went as she scanned across the rest of the upper level, she noticed him trying to sneak up and approach Hughes from the opposite side of where Rice was approaching. Should they gain the high ground, they'd take over the advantage White Collar had gained by having Neal be their eye in the sky supported by Hughes.

Unable to get him for the distance and obstacles, Diana was torn between holding her post and aiding her teammates.

Fortunately, Neal had this one covered too as she saw a black shadow take up stance to the other side of Hughes and begin firing on Ramnarase until he hit his sensors and took him out of play for a few seconds.

Between Rice and Ramnarase, they were trying to pin Neal and Hughes together, but the two were banding together to take on their own opponent while covering each other's backs to ensure that neither one was left defenseless.

Going offensive, the black shadow of Neal moved forwards shooting Ramnarase's sensors every time they reactivated until he was forced to retreat from the ramp and give up his approach to the upper levels.

Then, turning around to go to Hughes' aid, the shadow drifted through the obstacles silently before he reached an area to attack Rice from the opposing side as where she was attacking Hughes forcing her to divide her attention and ultimately retreat.

Hearing the alarms going off for the red base, Diana knew that Peter and Jones had achieved their goal again, but wasn't surprised when they were set upon by nearly the entire Missing Persons team causing the noise to change from the base alarm to lasers firing rapidly in intense combat.

Taking heavy fire, it wasn't long before she found Peter and Jones ducking through the obstacles and retreating back towards her for support from her and their teammates above to defend against the offensive onslaught from Missing Persons.

Finding a position behind an obstacle with holes for firing, Diana fired at the blonde she could see in order to ensure that she supported her team and protected their base.

They exchanged fire and Missing Persons managed to get close enough that someone got to the blue base and managed to rack up some points.

Regrouping, Diana pulled back and encountered Peter so the two moved together to approach their base and defend against whoever had gotten into their territory.

Waving Jones into their group as they moved, they heard the shooting go silent against their base but figured it was either their opponent stretching their fingers or shifting position due to fire from Hughes and Neal above.

Reaching their base, Peter peeked around first and then leaned back with a hint of a smile to his puzzled expression. Mimicking a hat with his hand Dianna knew he meant Neal was the one doing something about the attack on their base, but he waved them forwards if they wanted to see.

Stepping around, Diana noticed that Neal was leaned against a dark area of the course while contorting his body so that he couldn't be seen through the gaps in the obstacle behind him. Then after enough time had passed for the opponent nearest to him to have their sensors reactivate, Neal popped out and hit them trying to find him before disappearing behind another obstacle and ensuring he couldn't be hit.

Ducking back behind the base when she was spotted, Diana was impressed at how well Neal was managing the game. They hadn't expected him to know how to use guns or the strategies of such interactions as gunfights. Maybe he'd been forced to learn strategies while evading them over the years while having practiced with children's games growing up? But that wasn't sufficient to explain the sheer skill he'd exhibited. Based on Peter's expression, Neal would be talking before they went into the game with Organized Crime.

As the buzzer called the end of the game, the lights grew brighter and the sensors of their guns shut off so everyone walked back towards the entrance and into the intermediary room. Taking off their vests, everyone returned the gear to the racks before they stepped out another door into the lobby.

Breathing deeper and fanning themselves, the groups reacted to the heat from the gear and activities, but it wasn't entirely new to them due to their work involving heavier gear and real life and death interactions.

Turning around in the lobby, everyone stood around where they were able to watch the final scores scroll through on a television. White Collar had won each round, but in that final round, they only beat Missing Persons by a few points making it their closest match yet.

Groans and questions flit through Missing Persons when Neal was ranked as the ultimate scorer each round with a large gap between his ultimate score and Peter's who ranked as the next best shot in the group.

Blowing on the end of his fingers before pretending to put smoking guns into holsters, Neal smirked at them but refused to share his secret.

"Are you sure he didn't hack the game somehow?" Rice grumbled as she stood next to Peter observing their team results.

"Neal's never been known to hack." Peter defended his consultant even as he questioned the possibility himself.

"I didn't hack anything." Neal defended himself from behind them where he was almost ignoring the scores and reactions. "Everyone knows I'm White Collar and non-violent, but no one knows what I've learned over the years that I choose not to utilize."

"We know something of those skills now," Hughes added to the conversation indicating it was a lesson learned for them too.

Giving up, Missing Persons couldn't prove any immoral behavior so they conceded to their loss and headed to the parking lot to go home.

Catching Neal with a hand on the back of his neck, Peter stopped Neal from walking past him towards the lot. "You're not getting out of an explanation that easily." Keeping his hold, Peter hauled Neal towards the parking lot where they could get away from the crowd and noise of the internal area of the facilities.

Reaching the area next to Peter's car, they had relative privacy and were able to hear themselves think.

"Now, talk," Peter ordered as he released Neal to stand in the middle of their group.

Rubbing his neck to provide time to collect his thoughts, Neal seemed wary to share too many details. "First, her information isn't mine to share so I won't tell you about the person who taught me."

Frowning, no one was pleased with his opening, but they let their expressions speak for them.

"I'm serious." Neal dropped his hand to hang loosely by his side. He wasn't intimidated by four FBI agents staring him down. "She was a cop, she taught me a lot towards how to be the police officer I once aspired to be, and she helped me learn how to defend myself from those who potentially wished me harm. Others taught me how to refine those skills but I started learning evasive maneuvers when I was a toddler."

Hughes wanted to know, "who taught you how to refine those skills?"

"Not the criminals I've met along the way. Obviously, you aren't the first law enforcement and government people to be involved in my life." Neal shifted position but remained loosely open showing honesty.

""Why were you being taught defensive maneuvers at such a young age?" Peter felt responsible for his consultant so he focused on the reference to danger.

Pausing, Neal considered his words again. "There was a reason to fear for my life, and being protective, she wanted me to be able to get away should the need arise."

While the bosses reflected on the uncomfortable information Neal had revealed, Diana questioned him again on his name choice. "You said Nemesis was a nickname from another life?"

"In school, I had a friend who had another friend he'd known longer. That other friend has never liked me and considered me a negative presence for our mutual friend so he dubbed me nemesis." Neal shrugged. "It was before everything changed, yet again, so I consider it another life."

"How many lives have you lived?" Jones wondered.

Smirking, Neal didn't seem inclined to answer that. "That depends on your perspective, but most would say that I'm still working on one."

"Neal." Peter got the tone which indicated that he wanted a serious answer.

Sighing, Neal turned his focus onto Peter. "Those law enforcement and government people I mentioned, they know who you are and will let you know if there is anything you need to know. Otherwise, I've told you enough about why I know how to handle laser guns and fight scenarios." His stance and body language shifted to indicate that he was done talking to them on the subject.

Noticing that the situation was turning awkward, Diana cleared her throat. "I know we aren't supposed to practice, but we are here. Is anyone up for virtual racing or one of the other options they've got?"

Although there were some grumbles from Hughes and Peter, they understood that they weren't getting any more out of Neal at present so they agreed to some virtual racing and other games for some team bonding while they were at the facility anyway.

Returning inside, Peter challenged Neal to a race which was accepted.

Taking seats side by side, the two put on the gear and initiated a race against each other.

Picking a tough course, Peter was curious. "Are there any other secret skills that we don't know about?"

"Yes, there are always secrets about me that I don't tell anyone. It's how I've survived this long." Neal confirmed as the game started into another countdown.

Distracted, Peter got a slightly late start before gunning into action and speeding to try and catch up.

Watching from behind, the others observed how both Neal and Peter showed exceptional driving skills. Peter might be rough when driving in general city traffic, but he was in his element when it came to evasive driving. Despite the tight curves and random obstacles, he managed to quickly gain his lost time and moved up to racing neck and neck with Neal.

"Are you trained in evasive driving too?" Peter asked as Neal slipped through a tight gap to take the lead again.

"Knowing how to be a getaway driver makes for a more valuable thief." Neal cryptically answered just before he had to roughly swerve to avoid hitting a random cow walking across the street.

Using Neal's slow down to avoid a collision, Peter put a burst of speed on to take the lead crossing the finish line just ahead of Neal.

"Good to know." Peter started taking the gear off so that those lined up and waiting could take a turn at the races.

"This is annoying you, isn't it?" Neal was also removing his gear as a party of kids were to the side of them arguing about who would race who first.

"I'm not surprised that you have secrets. It didn't take us three years to catch you because you were open and easy to figure out. However, I don't like some of the things you hinted at in the parking lot." Peter stated as they moved to catch up where the others had drifted over to the arcade area.

Getting challenged to a round of air hockey, Peter lined up to play Jones while Neal challenged Hughes to shoot basketballs into hoops.

Although he estimated a close game between Peter and Jones, Neal wasn't sure how he'd stand up to Hughes. The older agent didn't blend with the general team too often as he was usually handling management duties instead of the grunt or fieldwork.

"Ready, sir?" Neal asked as he picked up a ball and got ready to shoot.

"I played basketball in high school. We won state." Hughes stated before asking Neal about himself.

"No such experience here. I've played games for fun with friends or in the gym, but not competitively." Neal knew he needed to keep his head in the game. Hughes had an advantage of training and experience, but Neal had the energy of youth in his favor.

Shooting hoops as quickly and yet accurately as possible, Neal noticed that Hughes was keeping pace with him, but never missed a hoop while Neal missed a few. When the buzzer timed, Neal conceded his loss to the superior agent and chuckled at his expression as a bunch of tickets rolled out.

"Is there a toy that caught your eye?" Neal teased as they were out of the office and generally doing team bonding activities so he felt comfortable enough to mess with Hughes a little.

"Yeah, there's a toy set of handcuffs. I thought we could let you wear them." Hughes shot right back with a tease even as he was looking for a kid to give his tickets to.

"Touché," Neal knew there weren't any cuffs, but he'd opened his mouth to tease which invited teasing in return.

Passing the pile to a little girl who seemed to be being entertained while older family members were otherwise occupied, Hughes figured it would give the kid a smile.

Checking on the status of the game between Peter and Jones, Neal noticed that Jones was in the lead by two points. "You did well in geometry?" Neal noted his use of angles to ricochet into the goal slot again and win the game.

"Aced it! Although I can do the algebra stuff, Geometry is more my strong suit." Jones smiled pleased to beat the boss.

"I'm better at that algebra and accounting stuff. Take the picture out and give me numbers." Peter commented from his side as he straightened up from his vain efforts to protect his goal.

Grabbing his arm, Diana demanded a rematch against Neal as she drug him to a hunting game. "You said you were taught young, well Charlie taught me a lot before he died. Let's see who learned more over the years."

"You got it," Neal smirked as he started his game in time with her.

Moving to watch, the others were curious to see Neal use his skills where they could observe him. When a target moved into sight, Neal tracked slightly ahead of them before shifting to hit the target straight on. If the target made a sudden move, then he shifted more rapidly and took his shot. Diana had a different approach, but when the game ended, they both had top scores showing that they were both equally capable of meeting the challenge.

Congratulating them on their achievements, Peter suggested the group grab some food before heading home.

Agreeing to some snacks, the group made their purchases before setting up at another table to talk about their morning and nibble on food. They took turns bantering back and forth strategies and observations to determine how they won and how they could do better the following week. Organized crime would obviously ask Missing Persons to increase their odds of winning, but, if White Collar mixed it up enough, it wouldn't do Organized Crimes any good.

"Why are you wearing black?" Jones opened the conversation by asking Neal for advice towards their next round.

"It's easier to hide in some of the shadows and the black lights don't have anything to pick up on. When I studied the map, I looked for angles that would be best for shooting, but also places that would be good for hiding if I needed to evade someone." Neal built on revealing more of his strategies to the team.

Snapping her fingers, Diana realized another strength they might have had over their opponents. "Missing Persons came straight in to check in. They didn't look at the map, did they?"

Shaking his head, Neal disagreed with her theory. "They came from behind me, so although I don't think they studied it for as long as some of us did, they did at least glance over it."

"What was that thing you were doing with your laser at the beginning when Diana was asking you about your code name?" Peter asked a question that struck him now he was thinking about it.

"Testing my sight to know how I needed to compensate. They're toys so they aren't seriously put together like a real gun is. I had to adjust my shots the entire game to ensure better accuracy. While you were missing, I wasn't which also helped me improve my scores." Neal pointed out another error that no one else had taken into account.

Analyzing the game, Jones pointed out that both teams used good strategies which made them compete, but Neal's strategies put them over the top. "Next week we need to wear darker colors for better concealment, test our sites for accuracy and to know what compensation we need to take, and Diana and I need to study the map a bit better."

"I also think Neal should lead at least one round. He's earned it. Let's see how he does against Organized Crimes." Hughes pitched in a vote for Neal to pit his winning strategies against their opponents at least once. Being the top shooter and ultimate winner this week had to count for something of his strategizing skills.

Agreeing, the others told him to come up with a strategy as he'd be leading at least once.

Shrugging, Neal wasn't intimated by the challenge. "It's not as hard as you might think. I've already got a plan. You wouldn't allow in the field, but this is a game so we'll go with it." His hint had them estimating what his plans might be, but they didn't know how he'd go about it in particular.

Finishing their snacks, they all had other things to do with the rest of their day so they split up with the agents going to their vehicles and Peter offering to drive Neal home on his way.

"You aren't going to interrogate me are you?" Neal asked before accepting the ride.

"Not this time," Peter promised but left himself the opportunity to question his consultant another day once he'd had time for more observations.

Smirking, Neal knew Peter would be watching for information. He always had been curious about Neal's mysterious past and this only increased his leverage to make intuitive leaps.

Leaving, they knew they'd be back the next week, but life needed to return to a semblance of normal in the meanwhile as life and work took their attention.

Note: The place referenced is real, but it's more real world with the website describing it as something between video games and something akin to FBI and military training grounds called Black Ops Laser Tag (how cool is that with the characters!). I like this to perhaps tinker with in future stories (and fellow authors might want to use this), but for this story, I used ideas based on my own experience at multiple laser tag arenas and the attached arcades.

Thank you everyone for reading :D Quinis and I have developed something of a tradition to gift each other a story on our birthdays and this is my gift to her for this year. The characters stretched this out into two longer chapters so I'll be posting the second half tomorrow night. Happy birthday Quinis, and I hope everyone enjoys! :D