"Slade Wilson, out of prison huh? However did you manage that?" The man says, seated at his desk. His feet are up on the table and his black hair is cut into some sort of Mohawk that I've never seen a Chinese person rock before. But he pulls it off.

"I'm calling in a favor." Slade says, ambling over to the desk that looks very out of place in the abandoned warehouse. I survey the room carefully, looking for the hidden staircase that this place has to have. This strikes me as a front for something much bigger.

"And you found yourself a new girl huh? What was the other ones name? Natasha?" The man looks me up and down. I frown, what's he talking about?

"Name's Terrance Holder." He gets up and offers me his hand. I shake it, and like always, forget to squeeze. Damn it, now he'll think I'm a weakling. Handshakes can be so important.

"Chastity." I say, unsure if I should give my full name. I look to Slade. His expression tells me butt-kiss. He's always so hard to read.

"So, what can I do for you Deathstroke?" Terrance says, falling back into his chair.

A brief smile flits across Slade's face at the mention of his title but then it's gone. "Some hired guns in black masks attacked the A.R.G.U.S facility on the Lian Yu. I expect that it's the Triad, or maybe even the H.I.V.E, but I can't be certain. I'm asking you and your associates to look into it."

Terrance's smile falters. "Mr. Wilson, that might not be such a good idea," He pauses and swallows. "We're right in the middle of the Triad's home base here in Hong Kong."

Slade's eyes become slits and the room is suddenly filled with tension. My eyes get wide, Holy Christ, is Slade going to kill this guy? "Is that a problem?" He growls dangerously, leaning forward onto the desk.

"I see prison hasn't mellowed you out." Terrance says, laughing nervously. "No. Don't worry, I'm your man." He hops up and sticks out his hand.

Slade takes it and I see a tinge of pain pass through Terrance's face. "The same principles as our previous arrangement. Agreed?" Slade's lips quirk up at the edges, almost as if he's smiling.

"Agreed." Terrance almost coughs out. I stand there, torn. What's Slade crushing this guy's hand for? Should I do something? Before I make up my mind, Slade releases him, and Terrance backs away, trying to put a smile on his face like nothing happened.

Slade gives Terrance a cold smile before turning and walking out of the building. I take a step to follow him, and then stop and look back. I feel like I need to say something to Terrance, but I'm not sure what.

He's cradling his right hand with his left, and gives me such a look that I turn quickly and rush out of the building without saying anything. His face was white as a sheet; he was deathly afraid of me. And in his eyes, I saw mountains of hatred. Directed at me! And all because I'm with Slade. Seeing that much hatred towards me, it makes me feel sick to the stomach.

"Are you alright Chastity? You look kind of peaked." Slade asks me when I step out into the shining sun.

"Nothing, I'm fine." I lie.

He opens the passenger door of the Buick and I slip in.

"What was all that about, what does Terrance do?" I ask him as he gets in the driver's seat.

"He's the they in 'that's what they say'. The face of a large system of hackers, eavesdroppers and observers called 'The Listeners.' When someone wants information, they pay them to find what they want. But there are restrictions." He starts up the car and pulls out into the busy traffic.

"What restrictions?" I ask, buckling my seatbelt.

"Well, they won't take a job if there's too much danger of them getting caught trying to get the information. Also, there's a free speech rule. They're allowed to tell anyone what their other clients are up to, for a price."

"Well that sucks."

"Yes it does. But that's their rules. They're terrified of getting caught in the crossfire of a vendetta."

"So what were the principles of your previous agreement?"

Slade looks at me out of the corner of his eye and smiles. "You just say whatever's on your mind don't you?"

"What? If we're doing this together I want to know what's up." I cross my arms over my chest.

He chuckles to himself. "It's alright." He says. "I like to know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours." He turns his head, trying to check his mirrors as he pulls into another lane. I wonder what it's like driving with only one eye. You probably have to move your head a lot more, like he is. Wait, he thinks I'm pretty? "Holder and I had a set of terms on our last agreement that had him lie to anyone who asked about what I was having him look into."

"Isn't that against their code?"

His gaze flicks over to me for a moment. "I told him if he was threatened, I'd take care of it. But if he didn't do as I asked, I'd kill him. Fear is a powerful ally."

I frown. "And someone did threaten him."

Slade looks at me, surprised. "Yes. How'd you know that?"

"The way he looked at you. They must have hurt him somehow too."

"Yes, you're very perceptive."

No wonder there was so much animosity. I wonder what it was that happened to Terrance. "What was the last thing you had him look into?"

"Oliver Queen of course. But...without the Mirakuru backing me up, things won't be so easy now. I'm no longer so omnipotent. People know it too." He says, slightly disgruntled.

"So maybe you can be a little nicer?"

He sighs."That's not how things work in the underworld."

I look out the window and watch the cars packed next to us flit by as we pass them. He's right; I don't know anything about how this works. In all the positions I've ever held, none of them dealt with the darker side of the cities. I started in the National Guard, made it in the Army, and then when A.R.G.U.S needed someone to look after the Lian Yu, I got selected. No open warfare, no spying, no killing. This is actually my first time in China. This is certainly different for me.

"So what now?" I ask, sitting up straighter.

"Now we wait."

I freeze up. "Really?" I say, panicking inside. Now we just wait? How many days am I going to have to spend hanging with Slade around the hotel? Eating dinner together, going shopping? Holy crapp, I don't want to spend that much time with him. I mean...I do...but I don't. I already feel attracted to him the way it is and I barely know him. When I look over at him, my heart hammers a little faster, when he smiles, I feel like blushing (and I never blush), and when he talks, oh that accent. Damn him it's sexy. I wish he'd say my name over and over and over and over…

"No, we can prepare in the meantime." Slade says, bringing me back to earth. "I know an arms dealer that'll get me set up for when Holder does find those guys."

"And what do I do?"

"You can go shopping."

"Great, I'll find something I can fight in." I nod, already picking out the clothes in my mind.

"Pick out something for tonight too."

I look over at him, eyebrows raised. "What happens tonight?"

He grins. "I take you out to dinner, Chastity."

Oh, double crapp.