A/N: Sorry this note is so long, but if you care about the consistency of this story in regard to the canon story then read it, if not skip it.

Issues with canon consistency: Okay, I was under the impression from the 10 eps and 6 issues I'd read that Wally does not know Robin's civilian alias YET. However, a few people reviewed saying that he found out before the show began. Achingly was nice enough to tell me about the Ask Greg website (which is a really cool site) in a PM and it does say on there that Wally knows and Dick knows he knows b/c he told him himself. Since Greg is one of the creators it's solid info. However, I personally think that's kind of cheap seeing how they make it sound like nobody knew Robin's id and anybody who wasn't privy to the Ask Greg website, such as myself when I started this fic, wouldn't even know Wally actually knows, which is pretty lame, but whatever. Anyway, that being the case, for all intents and purposes, for this story Wally had no knowledge of Robin's id at the start of the show. I hate to mess with that but I kind of have to now. Gr. Thanks a lot, Greg (lol).

Also, Artemis's mother has "screen time" in this chapter, for lack of a better word. We only saw her briefly in the ep Downtime, and now in the newest issue of the comic (issue 7), so I don't have much to go on as far as her personality is concerned, meaning I'm kind of winging it. So bear with me please. As for her role, thanks to issue 7 alluding more to Artemis's background, back stories that I initially came up with for this story aren't canon compliant now. Since I can still technically change some things around in this story that I haven't written yet so that the story still works and is more canon compliant (a few canon inconsistencies will still be present of course) I'm going to go ahead and do that. However, that does mean I had to go back and change one line in chapter 3 to do this. Kind of important for those who have already read this b/c I alluded to Paula being crippled b/c of Sportsmaster, and though the comic actually sounds like it supports that, it doesn't support that in the way I was going for (as in she was crippled by his hand). So that has now been tweaked. This also means that things that have happened up to issue 7 (and most likely 8 as it will piggy back off 7) of the comic are compliant with my story (I'll just be adding/tweaking things).

Disclaimer: "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

Rated T for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

Italics mean thoughts

"Italics within quotes" mean telepathy

The Truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable . . .

Tangled Web

Chapter 6: A Rose among Thorns

Gotham Academy

September 26, 15:45 EDT

Evan turned around and waved again at Artemis, a goofy smile plastered on his face. Artemis forced a smile of her own and gave a small wave in return. As soon as Evan's sleek black town car pulled out of Gotham Academy's parking lot, Artemis replaced her fake smile with a frown. She'd met up with Evan after school to ask if his offer to attend the Homecoming dance was still available. He'd been all too happy that she'd come around to the idea of going with him. And now she was stuck buying a dress she couldn't afford to attend a dance she didn't even want to go to, and all because she let Wally get to her. She felt like such an idiot. What was she hoping to accomplish anyway? To prove to him that, although he didn't like her, there were plenty of boys that did? Or maybe she was secretly hoping to make the speedster jealous. At this point, it didn't really matter; it was done now so she had to let it go. She supposed it could be worse. At least she liked Evan, maybe not as much as he seemed to like her, but it was something, and she was sure he'd be a good date. She turned away from the parking lot and headed for the front of the school to start her own journey home, but stopped when she saw who was waiting for her a few feet away.

"Yo," Dick said with a nod of his head. "What are you still doing here? You're usually gone the second they release us from this prison, as you like to call it."

"I had to talk to Evan about Homecoming."

Together they started walking.

"You do know asking Evan just to spite Wally is incredibly stupid, right?"

Artemis scowled. "Shut up, it's not like that."

"Yeah, sure."

"Speaking of incredibly stupid, is Wally still being an idiot? I mean, he's always an idiot, but is he still being unreasonable about this secret identity thing?"

Dick heaved a sigh. "Yeah. He won't even give me two seconds to try and explain why you know. It's like he thinks I randomly decided to tell you who I am when I'm not Robin or something."

Artemis shook her head. "Typical Wally. Well, he probably would have found out that I know your identity eventually, so at least it's out in the open. The truth will set you free and all that junk, although it's been my experience that it'll make you miserable first."

"Oh, well in that case, I feel loads better now, thanks," Dick replied, voice heavy with sarcasm.

"After a moment of silence, Artemis spoke. "Not that I'm siding with him, but . . . well, would it be so bad if you did let him get to know Dick Grayson?" Dick gave his teammate an incredulous look. "Look, I know Batman's got his rules and all that, but this is Wally we're talking about. Yeah he's obnoxious and annoying, but . . . he's also a good guy. He is your best friend, right? You've been friends long enough to know you can trust him. He trusts you with his identity, so why shouldn't you trust him with yours? I'm just saying, even though he's being immature about this whole thing, I can understand why it bothers him. Just think about it, okay?"

"Even if I wanted to tell him, how can I? He won't give me the time of day right now."

"Just leave that part to me," Artemis responded vaguely.

Dick raised a questioning eyebrow at Artemis's statement, but she didn't elaborate further. A black town car, almost identical to the one Evan left in 10 minutes earlier pulled up to the curb outside the prestigious school, Alfred at the wheel. Dick opened the door and held it for his friend. At Artemis's blank stare, he rolled his blue eyes.

"Are we gonna have to go through this every day? I told you already, several times I might add, that it's no trouble giving you a ride across town, at least on the days the computer club doesn't meet. So get in already, will ya?"

"Please, Miss Crock, it is our pleasure to escort you home," Alfred's voice drifted back to them from the driver's seat.

Artemis wordlessly climbed into the back seat, Dick right behind her. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Dick's generosity; she just hated feeling like a charity case.

x x x

Artemis trudged through the door of the small apartment she shared with her mother and dropped her backpack on the floor with a heavy thud before plopping down on the couch, her head hanging over the edge. Her mother, Paula, rolled into her line of sight, appearing upside down to Artemis from the angle her head was currently at.

"Rough day at school?" Paula asked, a smile on her face. She was still so happy her daughter had agreed to accept the scholarship she'd received to Gotham Academy that she always had a smile in place when they talked about anything school-related these days.

"The worst," Artemis groaned. "I got a date to the Homecoming dance."

Paula's smile only increased in size. "Honey, that's great!"

"No it's not. School dances usually cost a lot of money as it is, but this is a school full of rich kids. All the girls are going to be wearing dresses so expensive I can't even afford to stand in the stores they're sold in, much less buy one. I can't even afford a dress from a regular department store. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Who said you had to buy a dress?"

"Mom, it's a semi-formal event and I don't own any evening wear. I know I'm kind of a tomboy, but even I won't go to a Homecoming dance in a T-shirt and jeans," Artemis quipped.

"You won't have to. It should still be in my closet," her mother responded as she wheeled towards her bedroom.

Curious, Artemis swung herself right side up and followed. She glanced, as she always did when she walked down the hallway, at a spot on the wall that looked cleaner, brighter than the rest of the wall. Only two months ago, a picture of her mother and father in their wedding attire hung from that spot. When Paula returned from her six year absence, she'd told Lawrence, Artemis's father, that she was giving up "the life" as they called it, and that he had to as well or he was out. After he was gone, Paula took down their wedding picture. Artemis was glad her mother removed it. Paula had been away for six years, and not once had Lawrence contacted her. The picture was nothing but a lie. Her father didn't love anybody but himself. Despite the picture's absence, the bright spot on the wall that had been sheltered from dirt and sunlight for so many years was a constant reminder that it still existed, just like her father himself.

When Artemis entered Paula's room, her mother was in the processes of trying to retrieve something from her closet that she couldn't seem to quite reach.

"Let me get it," Artemis offered immediately.

Every time she saw her mother struggle with an everyday task, like getting in a building that didn't seem to have a handicap entrance or trying to get something from the back of her closet that she couldn't reach because she couldn't stand up, Artemis felt overcome with anger. After all, it was because of her father that her mother would spend the rest of her life confined to that wheelchair. He'd ruined both their lives, and Artemis was going to make sure he paid for it, one way or the other.

"It's the brown garment bag all the way in the back," her mother instructed, unaware of her daughter's inner thoughts. "So, who asked you? Evan or Dick?"

"Why do you assume it was Evan or Dick?" Artemis asked as she retracted her arm, the brown garment bag in her grip.

"Because, they're the only boys you ever talk about. Well, from school anyway," Paula added with a sly smile.

"Mom, complaining about having to work with Kid Flash doesn't count," Artemis argued, perturbed.

"That's not the way I see it."

"You're seeing things then."

"Artemis, I'm crippled, not blind," her mother countered.

Artemis didn't respond. She laid the garment bag on her mother's bed.

"So? Which boy was it? If you end up marrying either one of them you'll be set for life."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Put the brakes down for a sec, Mom. Dick and Evan are both just friends. That's it, period."

"That may be so, but some of the greatest romances started out as friendship." Her daughter shot her a warning look. "But for now we'll just focus on the dance. So, which one's the lucky guy?"

Artemis sighed. "Evan asked me and I finally decided to say yes. He'll take care of the tickets, but I'm on my own for attire."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Paula said, unzipping the brown bag and removing the garment as she spoke. "I've had this since I was a teenager. I wore it to the wedding of a close family friend in Vietnam. It should be about your size."

The garment was a dark royal blue silk chiffon that came all the way down to the ankle with slits on both sides that ran all the way up to the base of one's rib cage. The sleeves were long and the collar would sit high up on one's neck. Underneath the top layer was a second one, a long, silky skirt, the color of fresh snow. Tiny rhinestones were scattered all across the deep blue fabric, heavily beading the chest and tapering off half way down so that it looked like a meteor shower shooting across the midnight sky.

Artemis stared at it for a second before saying, "An Ao Dai? Isn't it a little . . . traditional?" she settled on, even though she really meant old fashioned.

"Maybe, but I can guarantee you'll outshine the girls in designer dresses with something unique like this, and you can't beat the price."

"Guess I can't argue with that."

At her daughter's less than excited look, Paula said, "The dance isn't for a few weeks, right? That will give me plenty of time to . . . modernize it."

Artemis smiled at that. Her mom could work miracles with a needle and thread. Of course, six years in a state penitentiary for her crimes as a Shadows operative had given her plenty of time to master the skill.

x x x

Mount Justice

September 27, 18:10 EDT

Artemis was heading for the zeta tube that would take her home after an uneventful practice. She'd planned on talking to Wally, maybe knock some sense into his thick skull, but he'd been the last to arrive for practice and the first to take off as soon as Black Canary said they were dismissed. She figured catching him at Mount Justice wasn't going to happen, but that was fine. Artemis was nothing if not resourceful. She'd already come up with a different tactic. She couldn't do it tomorrow, she changed her shifts at the local YMCA from Tuesdays and Thursdays to Mondays and Wednesdays after she missed her Thursday shift a few weeks back. It was too much in one day, school, practice, and work. Mondays and Wednesdays worked much better and she was so good that her boss was happy to let her switch if it meant keeping her on. So on Thursday, Wally was going to hear her out whether he liked it or not.

"Artemis, wait up!"

The blonde turned to see Megan floating towards her.

"What's up?" she asked once the Martian girl reached her.

"Um, do you have a second? I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it?"

Megan placed a hand behind her head, a nervous gesture Artemis picked up on.

"Well . . ."

x x x

Keystone High School

September 29, 15:30 CDT

Wally rushed through the front doors of his high school, the final bell still ringing as he did so. He always left in a hurry, anxious to get the most out of what was left of each day once he was released from school. It wasn't that he completely hated school; after all he loved his science classes, so much so that he was in all honors classes for that subject. It was all the other subjects that sucked. A few steps away from the front doors his eyes landed on someone and he froze. There, off to the side, leaning against a tree in the front courtyard was Artemis, still clad in her Gotham Academy uniform, her brown book bag at her feet. She had her arms crossed over her chest, one ankle over the other. The surprise her visit instilled in Wally caused her lips to spread into a satisfied smirk. Considering her attire, and the distance between Central City and Gotham City, Wally could only assume she'd headed over as soon as she was released from the Academy. Even with the hour time difference and the zeta tubes, there was a good chance she had skipped her last class to get here before Wally was dismissed for the day. That fact made Wally mildly curious about what was so important that she'd come all the way to Central City just to catch him after school. He had to give her credit, it was a smart move. It was no secret that he was pretty much avoiding both Artemis and Robin. He even made it a point to ignore them when forced to cross paths with them at Mount Justice. But, by already being present when he was released from school, she was guaranteed the chance to talk to him. After all, it wasn't like he could zip off at hyper speed in front of all the other students leaving the building.

Once it was clear he noticed her, she pushed off the tree with her shoulder, snatched her bag off the ground, and headed for him, eyes never wavering.

"We need to talk," she said as soon as she was within ear shot.

"Shouldn't you be hanging out with your new buddy instead of stalking me?" he asked, a slightly bitter undertone to his voice.

Artemis stopped in front of him and rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "I wouldn't have to show up at your school if you weren't acting so childish."

"Well if-" Wally stopped abruptly, his eyes leaving Artemis to take in the lingering students.

Many of his peers were now openly staring at them, clearly curious as to who Artemis was and what she was doing at Keystone High talking to Wally West, a seldom talked about nerd. Hushed whispers began to reach his ears and his checks burned in response.

"Who's that girl?"

"I don't know. Anybody recognize the uniform?"

"Why is she here to see West? You don't think she's his girlfriend, do you?"

"Kind of hot to be dating West, don't you think?"

"I think they're fighting! Maybe she came here to break up with him."

"In front of everyone at his school? Harsh."

Artemis noticed the look of discomfort on her teammate's face. "You know, I could make this situation a whole lot worse," she remarked with a smirk, her eyes leaving him briefly to scan the gathering crowd.

"Fine," Wally conceded. He didn't want to give in, but he wasn't willing to take a chance that she was bluffing.

He grabbed Artemis's wrist and roughly tugged her towards the street anxious to get away from the prying eyes of his classmates. There was a small park down the street and when the pair reached it Wally let go of Artemis's wrist and turned to face her.

"You wanna talk? So talk. And make it quick, we have practice in a half hour and I don't want you makin' me late."

"You need to stop avoiding Robin. It's not fair," Artemis said, getting straight to the point.

"That's what this is about? You came all the way to Central City just to tell me I need to talk to Robin?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Wally questioned, genuinely curious.

"Because he's my friend. He's yours too. More than that, he's your best friend, not that you've been acting like it."

"Some best friend," Wally scoffed. "I don't know who he is when he's not Robin but you join our team a month ago and he tells you like it's no big deal."

"For your information, I don't know because he decided to tell me."

"Well if he didn't tell you, then how do you know?"

Artemis shook her head. "That's not my story to tell. If you want to know then you ask Robin about it. Trust me, he'd be happy to explain what really happened if you'd get off your high horse and talk to him."

With nothing left to say, Artemis began to walk away. It only took half a second for Wally to appear at her side.

"Fine, I'll talk to Robin after practice today, but not because you told me to."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Artemis quipped, a knowing smile on her face that the speedster couldn't see.

x x x

Mount Justice

September 29, 16:57 EDT

"Recognized, Kid Flash, B03; Recognized, Artemis, B07," the PC announced overhead as Wally and Artemis materialized inside the zeta tube that led to Central City.

Megan was finishing up her work on the central computer inside the zeta tube room and looked up from the monitor when the computer jointly announced their names. To her surprise, both Wally and Artemis walked out of the Central City zeta tube together. She wasn't privy to what had happened between Wally, Artemis, and Robin; she just knew that Wally wasn't currently talking to the other two. The fact that Artemis had been in Central City with him was a good sign in her eyes. She hated when the team didn't get along.

"Hey guys!" she cheerfully called to them. They both gave a wave in return. Megan fell into step with the pair as she said, "Cutting it kind of close, huh? The rest of us were wondering when you two were going to show."

Artemis's phone began to vibrate in the pocket of her skirt. She dug it out and answered it as Wally said, "Blame Artemis, she held me up after-"

"What!?" Artemis cried, coming to an immediate stop.

Her shout startled Wally and Megan and they turned to look at their teammate, their feet pausing as well. Wally wasn't sure what had been said on the other line, but whatever it was, it had clearly shaken Artemis up. Her normally tanned skin had whitened considerably and her sapphire eyes held a look of fear in them, something Wally couldn't recall ever seeing in the archer's eyes.

"I'll be right there!"

Without a word to her teammates she turned on her heel and sprinted for the Gotham City zeta tube.

"Artemis, what's wrong?" Megan called after her.

She flew into the tube so quickly her body almost didn't dematerialize in time to keep her from colliding with the back wall of the chamber.

Wally only spared a second to deliberate with himself before he rushed after her. The look on Artemis's face was enough to spur him into following her. Whatever the phone call had been about had spooked her bad. He couldn't just ignore it, pretend like he hadn't seen it and attend practice like nothing happened. He faintly heard Megan call his name before a flash of light engulfed him and he found himself alone inside a dirty, broken down phone booth located in a dingy back alley of Gotham City.

Although Artemis was already out of sight when he evacuated the decrepit phone booth, it didn't take him long to find out which way she'd gone thanks to his ability. Once he located her she was already a block and a half away from the phone booth alley, running at a speed that was rather impressive for a regular person. She darted through an intersection with heavy traffic, rolling over the hood of a car before it could hit her and sprinted on unfazed, as if it hadn't happened. The way she was running screamed of desperation, almost as if she was running for her life . . . or someone else's. Wally was at her side in a millisecond, keeping stride with her easily.

"What's going on?" he asked, startling her.

"What are you doing here!?"

"You had Megan worried after you bolted like that from Mount Justice so I followed you!" he said, not seeing the need to shed light on his own concern as well.

"Well you shouldn't have. This doesn't involve you!"

"Look, do you wanna run and argue, or do you wanna already be where you're going?" Artemis didn't respond. "Yeah that's what I thought," Wally said before he scooped her up without stopping and took off at a much faster pace.

Artemis shouted out directions as she clung to the speedster and in a matter of seconds Wally came to a stop outside a rundown looking apartment complex located in the slums of Gotham. As soon as he set Artemis on the sidewalk she rushed into the building taking the stairs two at a time. When she reached the floor of her apartment she could see the door was ajar. As she passed through the doorway she noticed that the doorjamb was splintered, showing forced entry. The place was in shambles, stuff strewn about as though it had been tossed around in a haphazard whirlwind. Furniture was overturned and books were torn up and scattered across the floor, their pages turned into confetti.

"Mom!" Artemis cried when her eyes landed on the figure lying on the floor, her empty wheelchair next to her.

She immediately rushed to help her mother up. With a groan Paula said, "I'm okay, she just knocked me out of my chair is all. My pride's wounded more than anything."

Artemis released a relieved sigh. After Paula called, telling her their apartment had been vandalized, Artemis panicked. She had a feeling who the culprit was and feared that her mother was in danger. Her reaction was to be expected. Before her father moved out, he had a heart-to-heart with his daughter, making sure it was clear who she'd be working for and that she wasn't the only one that would suffer if she refused. Threatening her mother was a low blow, even by Sportsmaster's standards. Everyday Artemis worried that that would be the day the Shadows realized which team she was really on, and when she got that phone call from her mother, she thought that today might be that day. She half expected to find her mother at the mercy of a Shadows assassin's blade, or worse, already dead, by the time she got to the apartment. Seeing that her mother wasn't really harmed meant the League of Shadows was still ignorant to the role she was really filling.

Wally walked into the messy apartment. "Whoa," he said as he scanned the place.

His eyes landed on Artemis as she attempted to get her mother back into her chair. He stared openly, caught off guard by the fact that Artemis's mother was a paraplegic. He shook his head, overcoming his shock, and hurried to assist his teammate.

"Thanks," Artemis said once her mom was back up and securely seated in her wheelchair.

"Don't worry about it," Wally replied. Then, "What happened here?"

"Just your typical robbery in the Gotham slums, what's it look like?" she responded as she began to walk through the wreckage.

Wally followed along, taking in all the damage. He would have believed her, if it wasn't for the pictures on the living room wall. All of them were of Artemis and her mother and almost all of them looked recent, with a clear time gap between those taken years ago and those taken recently. That wasn't what really fazed Wally though, it was the fact that the glass of every picture was completely cracked through. It created a splintering effect so that it looked like an intricate spider web laid over the smiling faces of Artemis and her mother.

Why would some random thief bother cracking the glass of every picture? he wondered.

Artemis took note of the pictures as well and knew it for what it was: a calling card from the Shadows and she was sure which Shadow in particular at that. Batman was right about their impatience with her. She walked into her own room, Wally at her heels, and he immediately noticed that there were two twin beds in the sparsely furnished room and only one half of the room was trashed. The other side was untouched from the pristine purple comforter draped over the bed, to the lone poster of Alice and the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland hanging on the wall. After Artemis did a quick scan of her room she walked back to the living room, Wally right behind her.

"Um, I'm gonna go call Black Canary so she knows why we aren't at practice," he announced, and excused himself to the hallway outside.

Once Artemis was confident he was out of ear shot she turned her attention back to her mother. "What really happened, Mom?"

"It was your sister. When I wouldn't open the door to let her in, she just kicked it in. I should have known changing the locks when I kicked your father out wasn't going to keep them out. We got in an argument about her life choices and she ended up knocking me to the floor over it. She thinks I'm nothing but a pathetic, weak cripple . . ." Paula trailed off, ashamed.

"Mom, don't let her mess with your head like that. You're stronger than either of them for having the courage to leave that life in the first place," Artemis insisted.

Paula smiled warmly at her daughter. The one with the real strength was Artemis, not her. She had been raised by a family of Shadows assassins and yet had managed to forge her own path on the opposite side: the side of justice. She was truly a rose among thorns. Paula couldn't have been prouder.

Out in the hallway, Wally flipped his cell phone shut, glad that Black Canary had excused their absence. He moved to reenter the apartment, but stopped when he heard Paula speak.

"I'm not sure how we're going to get by for the next few weeks. Almost everything is ruined."

"Maybe I could pick up a few more shifts at the Y for a while, just until we have enough money to replace some of our stuff."

"Artemis, no. You're already burning the candle at both ends. Between school, the hours you work now, the time you spend training and assisting your new team, and the work you're doing for Batman taking on more is out of the question. We'll find another way."

Behind the door, Wally blinked, confused. Work she's doing for Batman? What work?

When it was clear the conversation was over, Wally pushed the door back open and rejoined Artemis and her mother.

"Black Canary said not to worry about practice today," he informed his teammate.

"Oh, you're one of the members of that team Artemis joined up with," Paula said, realization dawning on her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Mom, this is Wally. Wally, this is my mom, Paula Crock," Artemis said.

Paula wheeled over to Wally and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Wally. You're the first friend of Artemis's that I've had the chance to meet. She never brings anyone over."

At Paula's words, Wally glanced at the archer with raised eyebrows. He was surprised to hear that. He thought for sure that at least Robin would have been to her house by now considering how much time they'd been spending together.

At the speedster's questioning glance, Artemis turned away, arms crossed over her chest. "I didn't actually bring him over; he followed me after I got your phone call."

Paula smiled knowingly. If that was the case, she had a feeling she knew which member of the team this boy was. After all, not many people could keep up with her daughter, but Kid Flash would be able to. She decided to keep that thought to herself and instead said, "Well, I think you're lucky to have such a good friend, Artemis."

The pair of teens shared an intense gaze at Paula's words. 'Friends' wasn't the word either of them would have picked, but could one really call their relationship anything less than friendship at this point? Both wondered exactly when things had changed, but neither really knew. Artemis broke eye contact first. Wordlessly she kneeled on the floor and began the laborious process of cleaning up her sister's mess. Suddenly a torn book was held out for her. She looked up to see Wally squat down next to her.

She took the book from his extended hand and said, "You don't have to help."

"I know," was all he had to say in return, a soft smile on his face, before he turned away from her and began to right a bookshelf that had been overturned.

Artemis smiled gratefully at his backside, and together they worked to pick up the apartment in a comfortable silence.

Maybe 'friends' was the right word after all.

To be continued . . .

A/N: An ao dai is a traditional Vietnamese garment. There are many types but they generally have a similar design. I tried my best to describe what it looks like but it was rather difficult so if you'd like to know exactly what an aoi dai looks like, there are plenty of pictures on the internet from places that sell them. They are so pretty!

Anyway, I didn't think the last chapter would garner so much praise. I was worried many wouldn't like it as much as the others, but apparently I worried for nothing b/c several people actually said it was among their fav chapters :) Good to know, so thanks everybody who bothered to speak up! You guys have been such great readers.

SakuraJade