Thank you to all readers. J. owns Harry Potter; I do not.

The rain fell like a flood from God as Jay stepped out of the airport into Shanghai, bright lights filling his vision. He blinked a few times, before his eyes dimmed sufficiently to accommodate the influx of light and started to walk in the direction of the low-rent area of town. Delilah was meant to stay with him until this little task of his had reached its conclusion but he'd sent her back to London before he'd set out for Shanghai. He finally felt free from her oppressive company, despite memories of her popping up from time to time. Most of the time he couldn't care less, although he had become more… reserved regarding women, less overly flirtatious. It also meant the Ministry probably thought he'd gone rogue after ditching her and the deal might be off for all he knew. So he had done what he had to do. He became a ghost.

The gaudy neon lights shone out like a beacon for the damned and the desperate, the name of the Blooming Rose hotel attracting the dregs of the city. Jay scratched his jaw as he yawned, feeling the need to shave his dark stubble. If he was going dark, it'd be wise to change what features he could. His tattoos could be hidden with the right clothing, his wild brown hair could be cut a lot shorter and even dyed a different colour and he'd check out the underground dealings to see if there were any magical items that could better hide his identity. He'd need an alias too. He considered all of this as he entered the hotel and bought a room, before muttering 'Obliviate' under his breath to remove all memory of him from the receptionist's memory. He climbed the stairs, concentrating on the various tasks he had to achieve while he was here. First thing, set up a secure link to Trish to get information about his target here. Somehow owls aren't going to cut it, he thought to himself. Second thing, work out a way of entering and leaving his new living quarters without being seen. A secret Portkey, perhaps. One end in his room, the one somewhere quiet like a back alley. Third, get booze. Fourth, contact the Triad and work out what the hell they wanted his services for.

Jay stepped into the cold Shanghai night, whiskey bottle in one hand and the other in his pocket, holding his wand. His room was hardly worth noting, there was a bed, a small kitchen and a broken television. "All the channels'd be in bloody Chinese anyway…" Jay grumbled to himself, taking a swig of the cheap whiskey and looking up and down the various alleyways of downtown Shanghai. He had decided to create a Portkey in his room, now he just had to find somewhere to place the other end. He shouldn't be doing it while intoxicated but he had past caring after the second bottle. It needed to be out of sight and somewhere practical, as he'd have to walk from it (as it was easier to track Apparition than Portkeys). A commotion made his ears prick up and he broke into a lazy jog to reach the location of the sound. Down yet another alley that made up this maze of buildings, a man held a woman at knifepoint. Jay assessed the situation that presented itself to him, the woman's clothes were ripped in places and she was crying profusely, pleading in . Jay sighed – this man clearly did not practice proper seduction, instead relying on intimidation- and took out his wand. The man turned to look at him in anger for a split second. Jay muttered "Reducto" under his breath, turning the knife into ash on the floor. The man turned and ran as Jay uttered "Expulso", causing the wall next to the man to explode, throwing him again the opposite wall violently. He glanced at the woman and pretended to tip a hat in her direction. "You're very welcome pet, good night". With a cheeky wink, he took a large swig of whiskey and disappeared with a loud crack.

Delilah stood in Garfeld's office, wondering why she'd been summoned. Maybe he'd finally taken her seriously and was going to redirect her to the Librarium to be a scrivener like she wanted. It wasn't glamorous but she did love books. Her musings ended as he entered, holding a file as he usually did. She read the title; Jay Archer. Great. Her thoughts became dark as he began to speak. "Archer's been spotted in Shanghai. We need to take him in before he meets up with the Triad and vanishes. We're sending you, Miss Ruchirat, to apprehend him. Don't disappoint." He gave her the file and walked towards the door. Delilah called after him "What happens when I bring in Archer? " Garfeld turned and his answer clawed at Delilah's heart. "We'll torture him to find out anything useful he knows, and then we'll feed him to the Dementors. He can't be trusted with this assignment anymore. And we know you want to see him brought low. The rewards will be substantial and the only cost is a man you knew only briefly and caused you nothing but pain in the end. See that it's done, please Delilah."