Sorry about the...prolonged absence. I've had other things going on, and now that I've gotten a few other fics out of the way, I'm ready to get back to this one, with some new ideas! Thanks for all the patience! ~Hayley~

Roy had spent more time than he would have thought in the coffee shop that morning, but curiously, he found that he didn't mind in the slightest. It was nice talking to Jade, and it helped that she was attractive. There was something in her face, like she knew things, things that he didn't, and for some reason it drew him in. He felt like he wanted to know just as much as she did.

He inwardly slapped himself. What the hell was he thinking? He had just met her, and he never thought about women (at least, not as much as most men would). And even if he did…like someone, he could never get into a relationship with that person; it was too dangerous. His day job was as bad as his night-time vigilante work, and if he ever did have someone he cared about, and his enemies found out? They would be put into danger, and he could never live with himself if that person ever got hurt.

All that flashed through his mind in a matter of seconds, and it was only with great practice that it didn't show on his face. Both had long since finished their coffees, and more people were making their way into the café. He had never seen the shop so crowded, and it looked like people were waiting for tables, but he really didn't want to leave. Even if he wasn't attracted to the woman, she intrigued him. He wanted to see her again.

After the café got a little too crowded, Roy suggested the two go on a walk in the nearby park. It was a beautiful autumn day, and this way, he could talk to her a little more. She agreed, and he took her empty cup for her, throwing it away as they went out the door.

He was interesting, to say the least. Jade found it hard to get a read on him, and that was saying something, because she could get a read on anybody. She wondered how long this mission would take, and as they talked she ran simulations in her head and hatched schemes, debating over which one would succeed, and which would fail. She was a great multi-tasker.

It seemed as though things were going quite well, and that was proven when he invited her to take a walk with him in the park. She was grateful she had brought a sweater, as the air was cool and her tank top was thin. Not that it would have stopped her; she had nearly frozen to death on a mission in Russia a few years prior, and if she could survive that, she could survive anything.

They talked as they strolled through the trees. Roy asked her where she worked, and she lied, telling him she was an author. It was a weak lie, especially for her, but he seemed to buy it. "Really? Have I ever read anything of yours?"

Jade smiled slightly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Probably not. I haven't actually published anything yet. It's what I'm aspiring to be, though."

Roy raised his eyebrow. "Do you have another job? How do you support yourself?"

Jade shrugged. "I saved every cent I got babysitting as a kid, and it helps that my dad sends me money every once in a while," she lied flawlessly. "He bought me a place here, and he pays for it so I can live 'independently'."

"I see," said Roy with a smirk. "Working on anything at the moment?"

"I just might be!"

"Will I ever get to read it?"

"Maybe, someday. It's not much yet…" Jade snickered inwardly. She wasn't lying there. She hoped the Shadows could work something out for her before she got caught in her lie, because she was definitely not a writer. In her experience, the sword was mightier than the pen, and not the other way around. She had never felt the need to learn writing at all. "What about you? What do you do?"

"I'm a cop," he replied, and there was a weird expression on his face. Jade knew he was hiding something, and she knew what he was hiding too. She loved being in the know.

She faked surprise, her smile widening. "Really? Day off today?"

He nodded. "One of very few. I have to go in again tonight, but I thought I'd spend the day relaxing."

Jade looked at her watch, and then back at him, hoping she looked apologetic. "I kind of stole your relaxation day. It's nearly 4 o' clock!"

"Damn, I'll have to leave soon. I don't care though, honestly. It was nice to talk to someone new." Jade could tell he was being sincere. The poor fool. This was almost too easy.

"Glad you think so! And I really am sorry to have taken up all your time. When do you have to leave?"

Roy scratched the back of his head awkwardly, and Jade noticed the tips of his ears go pink. "Uh, well, right now actually. I have a bit of a drive today…"

Jade cocked her head to the side for a second, and then held out her hand, palm up. "Cell phone," she demanded with a crooked smile. He looked confused for a second, and then obliged, dropping his phone in her outstretched hand. Jade pressed the contact button, adding in her name, and the number the Shadows had given her. She then texted that number, giving Roy his phone back, and adding his name in her new phone.

Roy looked at the message for a second before he realized what had happened. "Oh. Ok, cool. Thanks!"

"You should go," Jade prompted him, slowly backing away. "You have my number now. I hope you know how to use it." She then turned, walking back to her apartment, leaving Roy with a small smile.

She went through the front entrance of her building as opposed to the fire escape, but she took the stairs. Elevators bugged her; they made her feel so trapped and uneasy. When she got to the fourth floor, she fumbled with her things, trying to get her key out of her pocket. Juggling her phone, her sweater and the magazine she had swiped from the café, she finally got the door open, kicking it closed behind her and dropping everything on the counter without turning the lights on.

Something wasn't right. Her heightened assassin senses cautioned her that she was not alone. She reached under her shirt, where her sai were secured to her torso, and whipped the two of them out, looking around the room carefully. "I know you're here, whoever you are," she hissed, but it sounded more like a purr in her smooth voice. Her sharp eyes scanned her surroundings again, trying to find something she had missed before. "It would be wise to show yourself. You won't be able to sneak up on me, although you're welcome to try."

"Calm down, little girl," a familiar voice came from her bedroom. Jade groaned and refastened her sai to her torso. "No need to fight."

"Why are you here? I'm on a mission!" Jade growled, as her father, Sportsmaster, walked into the room. His mask was on, but Jade knew he was sneering.

"Checking up on you, for the Shadows; they sent me to make sure the first day went well."

"It went fine. Goodbye. I can't work undercover if my…associates, like yourself, come to visit. He knows who you are, you know. He knows who I really am too, and it wouldn't take him long to connect the dots."

"Calm down, Jade. I made sure there was no one around. One of us will come about once a week to collect any information that you have gained, and help make your job a little easier."

"And it had to be you?"

"They'll probably ask someone else next time, but it wasn't my choice, little girl.Need any help? You won't be able to talk to the Shadows for another week… They disabled your comlink temporarily so you couldn't be tracked by the League. If you need anything, you should ask now."

Jade ran her fingers through her hair, exasperated. As much as she hated him, she needed help, and he was the only one who could help her. "I need a novel… But not a published one, a new one, in progress. He asked me what my occupation was, and I told him I was an author. Also, have them set up fake contacts to put in this phone. If he gets his hands on it, I don't want it to look suspicious…That's all I can think of. Can you leave now?"

Sportsmaster snorted. "I'd be happy to. Hook will be along with your novel sometime in the next few days. I'd imagine they'll program the phone from a distance." Jade glared at him, and he shook his head, heading for the fire escape. "I'm leaving! Have fun, little girl. Don't get yourself into any trouble!"

Jade slammed the door behind him, locking it and pulling the curtains. She spent the evening with the TV playing in the background while she devised a plan and re-read Roy's file. When her head was full of her target's life, she turned off all the lights, and collapsed into her bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.