Author's Note: Hi there! Sorry for those of you who have been waiting for this chapter. I just couldn't seem to get it right no matter how many times I scrapped it and started over again. I've been super busy with this role I landed in a musical and school and everything else that's been going on. In this chapter: finally a visit from a Young Justice character. There isn't really too much action, but it's kind of a set up for the next chapter, which is where- providing the characters behave- the important storyline begins. Anyways, if you guys like the chapter I would really appreciate reviews. If you totally hate, that's fine too, and I would love to hear why. On a separate note, I would just like to acknowledge the tragedy that has befallen Japan. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. Remy Vanderbilt is my own character.

Chapter Three: Suspicion

Any idiot knew it was stupid to move when an assailant was holding a knife to your throat. Remy Vanderbilt, however, wasn't an idiot. She told herself to stay calm, that she could easily get out of this unscathed.

"I don't have a lot of time," her assailant snapped. Remy identified that the voice as obviously male. "So I'll cut to the chase. Why were you meeting with an operative from the League of Shadows?"

Remy remained silent, waiting for the man to relax his stance. At least a minute went by and when the man didn't release his vice grip on Remy's lower body or lower the knife, Remy started to consider whether or not she was strong enough to break his hold. Remy's only real advantage was her uncanny speed, and being trapped by a man twice her size made it significantly harder to run.

"Explain or I'll break one of your ribs." As if to make his point, her attacker slid his arm up her stomach to her bottom rib and began applying a very uncomfortable amount of pressure. Remy knew he wasn't bluffing as she felt the tip of her rib start to press into her lung.

Remy said nothing, instead focusing on breathing in and out. When her attacker realized she wasn't going to say anything he pulled his arm up more and Remy could feel her rib beginning to be pulled out of place.

"Ready to talk?" He asked lightly.

Remy's voice was shallow when she answered but the message was clear. "Fuck you."

He pulled harder and in her mind, Remy could practically hear her rib cracking. "I can stop whenever you want me to."

Remy couldn't help the small cry of pain that escaped her lips. "You put me down and I'll talk!"

Her attacker seemed to consider this for a moment. "I'll lower the knife."

"Fine," she said gruffly, "but do it now." Surprisingly, the man did as she said and Remy felt the blade skirt off of her exposed neck. "On the floor."

The sound of the blade clattering hit the floor and Remy decided to take this opportunity to escape. In a rapid fire sequence, she fired her elbows back into her attacker, stunning him momentarily. She twisted around and kicked the back of his knee, momentarily relishing in this small victory as he dropped to the floor. She was about to strike again when she caught sight of his face.

She was looking at the very well-known sidekick of Green Arrow, otherwise known as Speedy. "Speedy?"

Taking advantage of Remy's loss of concentration, Speedy recovered and quickly took hold of her arm, twisting it behind her and pinning her to the counter with his body.

"It's Red Arrow now," he growled. "Now no more bullshit. Talk." As if to make his point, he ground Remy's face into the hard marble of her kitchen counter.

"I don't know what you're expecting to gain from beating up a civilian," Remy snapped. "I don't even know what the League of Shadows is!"

"Oh yeah? Then why did that guy—" Remy assumed he was pointing at Phase—"hand you a file?"

"What file?" Remy countered without missing a beat. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"You know damn well what file I'm talking about. You were at Jump City Regional Park tonight, yes? And don't lie to me." He twisted her arm back slightly and Remy struggled to control her rising hear rate. She did not need a panic attack right now.

Anymore twisting and pulling, however, and she'd need a meta human to put her bones back in place.

"I was there," she conceded angrily. "But I was just taking a break from this party I was at. Ask anyone who knows me."

"How do you explain the file?" He demanded.

"There is no file, you ass!" Remy practically shouted.

"Well, we'll see about that. I don't care if I have to ransack this entire apartment!" He threatened.

He released his hold on her and immediately headed for Remy's bedroom. She jogged after him, rubbing her sore arm as she went. Red Arrow was tearing through her dresser drawers, through her delicates, her t-shirts, her jeans, everything. Her bras were cluttering the floor as well as the rest of her clothes.

"I have nothing to hide," she fumed, "and even if I did, you wouldn't find it in my dresser. So if you could—? Please leave!"

He stopped his search for a moment and looked down his nose at her. "If you have nothing to hide then I'm sure you won't mind me going through your things."

"It's my stuff, jackass and I do mind!" Remy sneered, stalking over to the dresser. She bent down to pick up a few of her t-shirts, hastily folding them and putting them back in the drawer. "Oh and I'm pretty sure that it's illegal for you to be ransacking my apartment with no search warrant."

"You actually think I care?" He snorted, walking over to Remy's computer desk. He opened and closed all the doors, unsatisfied at the lack of anything incriminating. "I do what I want now."

"I've always heard you were smart, Speedy," Remy sneered. "I wonder what the citizens of Star City will think when they find out that one of their beloved heroes broke into a woman's apartment and assaulted her. The press will have a field day."

He let out a growl of frustration and knocked her lamp off her desk. "Dammit!"

"Get out of my apartment," Remy ordered. "You can come back when you have a search warrant. If you can even get one."

He pointed a finger directly in Remy's face and loomed over her menacingly. "It's a good thing you're smart. I may not be able to touch you now, but whatever it is that you're hiding won't stay buried forever. Your buddy lying face down in the kitchen learned that the hard way."
The two glared at each other, both of them too stubborn to consider backing down first. After about thirty seconds, however, Remy looked away. It is way too late to be doing this, she decided.

She put her hand on his chest and started pushing him out of her bedroom. "Hey, you—"

"Let me guess," Remy spat, interrupting him, "this is the part where you insert another cryptic threat and give me the 'I'll be watching you' speech." She backed him up against the wall and pulled open the front door. "You can save it because, honestly? I could care less."

Ignoring the appalled look on Red Arrow's face, Remy gave him one last shove and slammed the door, locking it behind her. She glanced at the kitchen counter where Phase's lifeless body now lay.

A part of her was relieved that he was dead. He had been her torturer, her handler, her enemy. Now, he was gone and it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of Remy's shoulders. Another part of her, though, was very scared.

Red Arrow had killed Phase and now Remy was on his radar. Would he resort to killing her too? She ascertained that she had to be more careful. She couldn't simply get into Travis' car and buy military grade weapons anymore. That was generally a big red flag. Remy figured that she should probably find another apartment to hide her weapons as well.

Her racing heart slowed to a normal pace as she took a few deep breaths. Remy reassured herself that she would be fine. Red Arrow was a hero and Phase was a criminal. He deserved to die; she—for the most part—didn't deserve an untimely death.

Though, she had always wondered what it would feel like to be on somebody's blacklist. Now she knew the feeling that, perhaps, every single one of her targets had known before she had ended them.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

After teaching her six am Bikram yoga class, Remy had a couple hour break before she had to teach another class. She had brought the case file with her, tucked safely away in her gym bag. Red Arrow's early morning visit had perturbed Remy enough for her to think it necessary to bring the file along.

Speaking of Red Arrow's visit, Remy knew that she would have to come up with a plan to get rid of Phase's body. She had haphazardly shoved him into her closet and covered him with some dirty clothes, but pretty soon the body would start to give off an awful stench. Remy knew that if Red Arrow returned with a search warrant and a battalion of police officers, she would be blamed for the murder of Phase.

Going to prison was not on her to-do list.

She grabbed a steaming cup of chai tea from the Shakti spiritual center's kitchen and searched for a secluded place to sit. The private lounge designated for the teaching staff seemed a good enough place.

With no one in sight, Remy plopped into one of the chairs, sipped her tea and pulled out the file. She was greeted with the image of a handsome man with a broad, square jaw and slicked back blonde hair. He had a large nose and muddy brown eyes, but there was a certain charisma that shone through his boyish grin.

Remy sighed and pushed her hair back from her face as she read his stats. His name was Anthony Hodgkins and he was only twenty-nine years old. Remy wasn't sure how this guy had pissed off the League of Shadows, but it usually only took one offense to do so. She briefly skimmed the parts about his childhood and college years.

By the time she finished reading his personality profile, Remy wasn't sure she understood why she had been asked to kill this man. He lived in Gotham city and was running against Harvey Dent for district attorney. She read that he was currently on a prescription for chronic insomnia and for anxiety, but that wasn't too of the ordinary.

Surveillance missions that were recorded by the League of Shadows operative designated to, well, shadow Anthony Hodgkins were extremely ordinary for a man of his age. He had a serious girlfriend of five years named Stephanie and they lived together on the West side of Gotham. He was known around town as "the guy next door" and "a friend to all."

Oh wait, Remy thought, those are just his campaign slogans. Either way, Hodgkins didn't have a criminal record and didn't seem to have his hands in any dirty pockets so to speak. Remy glanced down at her instructions which detailed a charity fundraiser he was hosting at the Four Seasons in Gotham next weekend.

At the back of the folder, the building layout and the security plans were drawn out for her as well as a driver's license. It wasn't a picture of Remy, instead showing a picture of a book-wormish young woman with mousy brown hair and glasses. Marilyn Hopkins, age 26, also a resident of Gotham City.

Remy's task was plainly written in italics across the bottom of the page.

Assume the identity of Marilyn Hopkins, age 26, a well-known political zealot. Infiltrate the Hodgkins Fund Charity Ball and eliminate Anthony Hodgkins. Shoot to kill at point blank range. Leave driver's license and the weapon at the scene of the crime. Security systems will have already been shut down for a small period of time. Forensics on the gun will reveal that Hopkins was the murderer. Escape in the midst of the chaos and avoid detection at all costs.

Remy shut the file, deciding she would reread it later to make sure she had the specifics. When it came to jobs like this, Remy knew that every step had to be done just the way the Shadows said it should be done. Otherwise, Remy would find herself caught at the crime scene with no one to blame but herself.

She ran a shaky hand through her hair, finished off her tea and shoved the file back into her bag. She had a couple more classes to teach before she could leave, and then she could book her flight to Gotham City and take care of Phase's body.

As long as she had a plan, Remy could relax.