Fool Me Twice

Oops, I added another chapter to Fixations instead of doing day three's drabble... xP Sorry about that, mi hermanos.

First time writing Roy/Jade... It takes place sometime in-between Insecurity and the season finale. Roy doesn't know he's a clone yet. xP

"GA, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, my boy. I'm switching off for the night now, though. Good luck to you and Arty. I got— ahem— other plans tonight."

"Just go; I don't need the details."

"See you later, Roy boy."

Red Arrow heard Oliver's comm click off. Before he could ask his ex-mentor not to call him that.

"Artemis, do you read me?"

He got no reply.

"Artemis. Do you copy?"

Nothing.

"Green Arrow has retired for the night. Artemis, respond," he repeated a bit more harshly.

"I'm here," Artemis replied, but Roy noticed that she sounded a bit... different.

"What's wrong with your voice? Did someone just hit you in the windpipe?"

He got no reply.

"Okay, then... Where are you now?"

"Alleyway on Tenth and Anahurst. In need of backup. Do not open fire."

Red Arrow blinked. It wasn't like the fiesty blonde to call for backup, much less tell him not to shoot if she did need help. Frowning to himself, he silently jumped across the building tops until he reached the alleyway and leaped down.

It was dark.

"Artemis," he hissed into the darkness, squinting his eyes as he searched for her bright blonde hair. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind and a knife was held loosely against his throat. He could've escaped without a single cut if he managed to distract his captor.

"Long time no see, Red," a voice purred into his ear. "It's been too long if you couldn't recognize my voice with two different chances."

"Cheshire," he replied cooly. "You hacked the comm's?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed, sounding offeneded. "Stealing them right out of arrow girl's ear was much easier. She's wandering around with a fake comm wondering why you're ignoring her right now."

"What do you want?" he snapped, in no mood to humor the assassin.

"What, am I not allowed to miss my little sidekick?" she asked saccharinely; Roy could just hear her mock-innocent pout. She knew he didn't like being called that.

"I'm not a sidekick anymore," he growled, swiftly and skillfully wrenching himself out of her grip. Just as quick— if not faster—, she just grabbed him from the back by his shoulders and using the wall behind her for support, she literally bounded up the side the wall and flipped over the archer, landing before him with the skill of an Olympic gymnast.

"Where do you think you're going, Red? Can't we catch up?" she questioned innocently, taking off her mask.

He didn't answer, only giving her an annoyed glare.

"So it's the silent treatment now?"

"I wasn't the one that left," he replied lowly. "Back to the Shadows, huh?"

Jade's eyes flashed.

"You have your alliances, and I have mine."

"You never seemed to care before," he snapped back. "In fact, it was always you— every time. It was you stepping up, and now it's you stepping down. You should make up your mind, Chesh; I don't like being toyed with."

Jade tried her best to seem unaffected— glaring harshly at him as if he was falsely accusing her— but he knew her better than he would like to admit.

"I... I thought about it, alright, Red?" She paused. "And if I didn't— or hadn't— I wouldn't be here now, talking to you," she finished, glare lightening the tiniest bit, looking almost the slightest bit annoyed— at her stuttering self or the red head, one couldn't quite tell.

"What else do you want from me? I'm here, aren't I?"

He didn't reply, but Jade could tell just what he wanted her to understand.

"No."

"Chesh, —"

"I don't have anywhere else to go, Red. No."

"Come live with me," he blurted out. He seemed rather surprised at what just came out of his mouth, but he made no move to take it back.

Jade stared at him open mouthed for a few moments. And just when she was about to reply, a shout rang across the night sky.

"Roy, where are you?"

It was Artemis and she was close, by the sound of her shouts.

Jade flashed Roy a small smirk, kissing him roughly on the lips. He closed his eyes and just as he began to respond, she was gone. Roy opened his eyes to darkness and a blonde archer dropping from the sky with an irriatated look on her face.

"You don't report at the assigned time, you ignore me, and when I go looking for you in actual concern— ugh— for your safety, I find you lazing around in a dark alley?" she exclaimed hotly.

Roy didn't respond, only reloading his bow and stalking out of the alley right past his fellow archer.

"Let's go. Rendevouz at Main and Lincoln in forty-two minutes."

He heard Artemis call him a few rude words under her breath.

"Whatever," she replied, hopping back up a trashcan and up a fire escape near the alleyway's mouth. As soon as she was gone, he dashed up the fire escape and then in the opposite direction of Artemis.

When Roy returned home that night, he found a shuriken holding a note in place on his bedroom wall. Carefully unsticking the paper, he unfolded it and read the carefully scrawled message.

See you around, Red.

TWO MORE DAYS, LIKE FO' REAL. I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL MAKE IT THROUGH THIS NEXT EPISODE. I SAW THE CLIPS AND ALMOST DROWNED IN ALL THE FEELS.