Author's Note: I'll warn you beforehand, on some off chance that you, dear reader, really like this, that it is not finished and I don't know when it will be. I don't update regularly and college gets in the way from time to time, so it might be some time before the story is finished. I have a lot planned for this particular piece. ;)

That being said, please do read, I'll try not to leave it alone for too long a time.

Part One

The pitter-patter of two small feet echoed through the dusky alley-way, barely lit by the Autumn sunset. Lux made her way through the Noxian streets as the clouds above slowly began to cover the sky, foreshadowing a cool and drizzly November night. Eventually the blonde approached a tall, hooded man whom she recognized to not only be Talon Du Couteau, agent of Noxus and assassin of many, but also her partner in crime for the night's expedition.

For all of her time in Noxus, and as Demacia's best spy that rounded up to about two years for Luxanna Crownguard, Talon Du Couteau was the only individual she had been profusely warned of but had yet had the pleasure of meeting. Before setting out for her most recent mission in the capital city, Lux had been briefed on the abilities and whereabouts of certain notables who called Noxus home. Characters like Darius or Draven were hardly difficult to keep tabs on. Even the famed Katarina Du Couteau was easily spotted from time to time, though Lux felt that if she was as skilled a killer as Katarina, she wouldn't be so worried about enemies trying to jump her in the dead of night either.

Talon, however, was a different beast altogether. This man made secrecy a priority, and though Lux had been on this particular mission upwards of three months, she had only ever spotted him twice. Both times in the Main Palace doing business with General Jericho Swain in the glaring light of day. It was only by some random chance that she had even been assigned to the same operation as the mysterious man.

Lux had secured herself an excellent position in the Noxian military as General Swain's assistant. The job came with many perks, such as good pay, friendly hours, and not to mention, incredibly easy access to schedules, meetings, and files of the Noxian government. Still, a covert ops mission would not be one without some difficulty. Such a predicament presented itself one day when Swain asked her to run point on an "information recovery assignment" on account of "Jenn having fallen ill".

So Lux found herself in a dark alley-way in the middle of Noxus right around sundown staring up at the one man she considered to be the most elusive, and perhaps the most dangerous person in the city, prepared to embark on an expedition that, because of the skill of the aforementioned assassin, she was likely not required for.

Lux peered up at the cold man, intimidated by his height and stature. Though his face was mostly shrouded by a hood, she could make out a strong jaw line, thin lips, and a slightly crooked nose, likely broken a time or two in the past. In a way, Lux considered him to be handsome, like the rough and tumble rogues that young girls occasionally dream of.

"Lucy Proudmoore, reporting for duty." Lux said with a clear, but small, voice.

"Evening Lucy." The assassin replied casually. "I assume you have been briefed?"

"Yes sir."

"Then let's head out."

The pair walked off into the evening sunset, headed towards one of the few mansions in the residential district. The setting sun cast an amber hue on the streets and painted the clouds various shades of pink and orange, setting up what Lux thought would be a very romantic evening, were it not for the lifestealing assassin brooding beside her. He remained dreadfully silent for the duration of their walk, and Lux did not have the guts to spark a conversation. Even if she did, she was not sure there was much they could talk about.

They eventually reached their destination, an elegant mansion perimetered by a ten-foot tall wrought iron fence. Lux was not incredibly impressed by the estate, having grown up in one equally as grandiose, if not more so, but she supposed this sort of luxury was uncommon in Noxus. The assassin lead her around the estate towards the back where there was a gate to the gardens. With a quick pick of a lock the duo cruised easily inside and up to a great stone wall where Talon stopped her to review the plan a final time.

He spoke in a low whisper. "I will climb up to the window and secure a rope for you once I am settled. You can then hoist yourself up while I take care of the guards. Once we're inside, I'll need you to stand behind the study door entrance and keep watch while I search the room for the records. Should anyone show, you will first need to alert me then set up an illusion for the guard. Now I have been told you have a farseeing spell, is that true?"

Lux nodded.

Talon continued without much pause. "Use that initially to scout the hallways feeding into the one we will be located in. Once I have found the information I am searching for, I will alert you and we will leave the way we came. Tomorrow, we will meet again in Swain's office for debriefing. You ready?"

Once again, Lux nodded and soon after Talon began his trek up the stone Lux had known fighters, explorers, and thieves alike back in Demacia and even here in Noxus, it was rare for her to see one in action, especially with her current work as a secretary. Talon's cloak did a fair amount to cover his body, but Lux found herself mesmerized by the way the muscles of his she could see stretched and tensed as he hoisted himself up to the second story window. Upon approaching the window, the rogue paused for a moment. What he was doing during that pause, Lux could not quite tell, but she assumed he was performing some sort of window opening maneuver because just a second later, the man slipped inside the building.

Not long after, a rope fell from the window all the way down to Lux's feet, and Talon motioned for her to make her way up. Grabbing ahold of the rope, she slowly, but surely began lifting herself towards the second story. Although Lux was by no means in excellent physical condition, she was still trained enough to climb the building without causing too much harm to herself, or more surprisingly, causing too much noise.

As she entered the hallway, she saw a guard slumped over against the wall and a door slightly cracked open. The stretch was notably well lit by the moonlight, allowing her to walk freely in the corridor. Doing as she was asked, she set up an illusion to mimic the guard as awake, and proceeded cast a far sight spell to check the adjoining hallways, determining that both guards in the neighboring passages were unsuspicious of the intrusion. She then continued into the room, and, with her eyes still adjusting to the darkness of the chamber, nearly walked into a display table. Nearly, that is, until a heavy hand pulled on her shoulder and a cool breath whispered against her ear, "Careful."

Talon disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, but not before sending a tense shiver down Lux's spine. Though she was about ready to curse the darkness for almost forcing her to walk straight into peril and likely the downfall of their mission, Lux also thanked the shadows for concealing her undoubtedly bright blush.

Not one to dwell on things, at least when on a mission, Lux set back towards the door, closed it, and began concentrating her farsight spell in the hallway. Still, the occasional draft in the room would sometimes brush against her bare skin, reminding her of the assassin lurking in the room.

Lux stood there for what she felt was eternity, but was actually just around ten minutes. Eventually, the rogue returned, tapped on her shoulder, and whispered, a little less closely than the previous time, "Let's go."

Opening the door, Lux stepped out into the moonlit hallway, relieved to be back in an element where she could at least see beyond her own feet. Talon followed after her, but his step into the hallway unfolded a little differently than the mage's. As he brought what appeared to be a book across the doorway threshold, the hallway lights immediately turned on, and even more alarming, the sirens went off. It didn't take much awareness to hear the shouting and clamoring of the guards as they rushed towards the study.

"Shit" was all the assassin could say before he shoved the book in his backpack and took off towards the window, quickly motioning for Lux to follow. The two swiftly started to make their way down the rope, hoping to reach the bottom before the guards started to gain. Talon was lucky enough to reach the bottom without trouble, but the same could not be said for Lux. The assassin had just barely enough time to brace himself as a heap of clothes, skin, and blonde hair fell on top of him with a resounding thud.

"Sorry, sorry!" Lux exclaimed as she tried to haul herself off of Talon's muscular chest.

The assassin grunted heavily as he began to sit himself back up. "Run!" was the only reply Lux received as Talon pushed her in the direction of the exit and rushed that way himself.

Although the duo made a valiant effort trying to escape from the mansion's forces, Lux's exhaustion and Talon's sore back made the task impossible. Lux, realizing their position and seeing the soldiers gaining on them in the gloomy street, made a quick, decisive, and irreversible choice about how to get out of the predicament. The mage was not in the habit of performing magic that could reveal her identity, nor was she fond of using such power outside times of need, but Lux felt this time her spells were necessary to bail them out of this hazard.

"Close your eyes!" She shouted boldly to Talon.

Still, he had the wherewithal to question her. "Why?"

"Just do it!" She commanded. Without a second thought, she channeled all of her energy into one spell, and not even a second after, unleashed a fascinating spark of light that left all of the pursuing guards stunned, blinded, or worse.

Talon, for his part, had been wise enough to heed Lux's warning, and had shut his eyes just in time. He did not need to have had his eyes open to know that a massive change in brightness had occurred during the few seconds his eyes had been sealed. The searing light shone orange through his closed eyes, and before Talon had a chance to question her powers, Lux had grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled him on a frantic run through the streets of Noxus.

Lux and Talon arrived at The Red Robber sore, exhausted, and drenched. As if fate had not been against them enough on that night, the sky opened up and downpoured one of the strongest rains Noxus had ever seen during their escape to safety. But still, luck was on their side as the mage and the assassin ultimately did make it into the warm confines of a welcoming tavern.

Talon stumbled in first, followed by a miserable Lux, but neither got very far inside before the innkeeper approached them.

"My my, looks as if you two have had quite some troubles." The fat, homely man commented. "Care for a room? Perhaps dinner as well?"

"Yes to both." Talon replied quickly. "How much will it cost?"

"Just three silver, sir." The innkeeper said as he waddled over to his desk and started to rummage for a key.

"Three silver?" The assassin questioned with an intimidating brow. He was clearly not accustomed to paying such high prices.

"This is a fine establishment, sir." The fat man responded as he pulled out a key. "And I will not bargain for the price. Three silver, take it or leave it."

Lux watched the expression on Talon's face turn dark. In an effort to prevent any future trouble, she intervened.

"I'll pay." She offered, placing a steadying hand on his forearm. Then she handed over three silver to the innkeeper. "Thank you, sir."

"Of course, miss." The innkeeper replied as he gave Lux the key in exchange for her money. He promptly then returned to his business.

Soon after, the pair made their way over to the bar where each ordered a hefty meal and a bit to drink. It wasn't until Lux had food and ale in her belly that she truly felt she could relax. Before she had started her espionage in Noxus, Lux had not been much of a drinker, but upon acclimatizing to her new life in the hard city she began to develop a taste for beer. She was by no means a lush, but every now and again, on especially stressful nights such as this particular one, she would find herself longing for a cold amber brew.

After nearly twenty minutes of blissful peace and dining, Talon finally broke the silence.

"I will need to speak to one of my contacts." He said abruptly.

"Can't we just report to Swain tomorrow? I don't see any reason to deal with it tonight." Lux yawned, visibly tired from the evening's trials.

She set back to her mug, intending to take another sip. Just as she was lifting it off the table, Lux felt a hand settle on her shoulder. The gesture reminded her of an earlier scene, however, this time there was no hiding the color that tinted her cheeks.

Lux peered shyly into the assassin's cold eyes, waiting for censure to rain down upon her for her reckless abandon. It didn't help that as she awaited her scolding, she couldn't help but notice the five o'clock shadow that crept up on his face and how it accented his jawline perfectly.

"There's more to this than you know, Lucy." His voice was as hard as his eyes. "Stay here in the tavern while I gather some information. Do not go up to the room without me. I shouldn't be more than a couple hours."

Swiftly, Talon stood up and headed for the door. Lux couldn't utter so much as a second word before he was gone. After he was, she returned to her drink, and began to contemplate the meaning of "more than you know".

The woman Talon returned to after his outing was far less put together than the woman he had left at the establishment. Though Lux was only buzzed, she was annoyed and indignant enough to forget her place, his standing, and their predicament. In her mind, his atrocities against Luxanna kind, leaving her cold, wet, and tired in an unfamiliar tavern, were enough to warrant a little yelling.

"Took you long enough!" The blonde exclaimed as he walked up to her at the bar. She stood immediately and began jabbing one small index finger at his chest. "You can't just leave saying, 'I'll be back in a couple of hours, don't move'! You should be happy I'm so used to taking orders otherwise I'd have bathed and bedded myself already! Don't you have any compassion? Or better yet, you could have told me what all the fuss is about! If I had known what the-"

Lux ceased her rant immediately as piercing eyes and a cold expression leaned in close. She looked up at the assassin with what she assumed was an incredibly red face, still intent on continuing her rage, but at a loss of words to continue it with.

"Hush." He said firmly, cool breathing bouncing against Lux's cheeks. "We can talk in the room."

As soon as the man's stare released her from her prison, Lux reopened her mouth to give Talon a piece of her mind, but the blonde was silenced by a simple touch from the cold blooded killer. An unyielding hand came to rest on the small of her back, directing her towards the staircase. She followed along for the moment, still fully intending to resume her tirade once she was given a reprieve from his proximity.

Once they reached the room, Lux fumbled around for the key, but because of cold hands, and not just her own, she dropped the metallic object on the ground. Flustered, Lux bent to the floor to retrieve the key, and after taking much too long to pick the damn thing up, she finally returned to full height and began to open the door. As she turned the knob, Lux swore she heard a soft chuckle emanate from the assassin lurking behind her.

Finally, as she entered the bedroom, released from his touch, gaze, and commands, Lux resumed her diatribe.

"So what, exactly, is going on here?!" She interrogated.

He closed the door gently and sat down on the bed. While he was taking off his boots, he responded. "We were set up."

"Care to elaborate?" Lux folded her arms in front of her chest. The fellow was clearly not a very good communicator. He would not make it very far in her line of work. Secretarial work, that is.

But then she heard it again. A soft chuckle just before he responded to her question. "Swain wants us in jail."

Ignoring his answer, Lux addressed a more pressing matter. "Are you laughing at me?"

Talon looked up at her, and while Lux was expecting the same solemn face she had grown accustomed to throughout the night, she was instead met with laughing eyes.

The assassin smirked at her for a second then resumed tending to his boots.

Lux let out a displeased cry and resolved to take care of her own wet clothes. Inside the bathroom she was fortunate enough to find a clean bathrobe, and then she was glad she had paid the whole three silver for a nice inn. She changed out of her wet clothes, with the exception of her undergarments, and left them to hang on the bathtub. Wrapping the warm robe around her, Lux released a relaxed sigh and returned to the main room to deal with the issues at hand.

What awaited Lux when she reentered the room was more than enough to draw a blush from her pale cheeks. Talon, back to her, was gingerly sliding his trousers off, revealing bare skin to the curious mage. Lux watched furtively as the taut muscles in his back, arms, and legs worked to move his limbs around the area. Back in Demacia, many of Lux's friends had been fond of ripped men with biceps as large as their thighs. Lux, however, prefered men with a leaner physique, such as the one displayed before her.

Lux was barely able to squeak out a sentence to alert Talon of her presence.

"I - I hope you don't plan on sleeping in the bed." She stated.
As Talon turned half his body towards her in effort to reply, Lux was immediately thankful that the man wore underwear.

"Lucy," He said coolly. Hearing him address her so directly sent shivers down Lux's spine. "You can sleep in the bed with me or on the couch without me. It's your choice."

Huffing loudly, Lux stormed over to the bed, picked up the fluffiest pillow and the duvet, sat herself down on the couch, and muttered, "Bastard."

For the third and final time that night, Lux caught the sound of a soft chuckle. Annoyed with the man and her own ridiculous reactions to him, Lux tucked herself in the comforter, finding sanctuary in the soft feel of the fabric. Perhaps it was the booze, or the exhaustion from running from mansion guards, but regardless the cause, Lux quickly drifted off to sleep on the couch, many questions still to be answered.