The man sighed as he scratched at his rough stubble, and adjusted the bandages around his head slightly, so that they covered his eye a little more. He looked at his watch, and shook his head, awaiting the individual that said they would be there.

"I need to shave after this." he muttered to himself. "Starting to look like a damn street ruffian." he mumbled further.

He then ruffled his coat a little to loosen it up some and turned to the opening of the alley, where an individual showed up, making their way towards him.

Once they were close, they looked at each other.

"How much time as passed?" they asked him.

"...I've lost count. It's pointless to ask now." he replied.

That seemed to be the answer they were expecting, and they handed him a file folder that they produced from inside their own coat. The man accepted it and looked at the contents, narrowing the one eye that was uncovered.

"...and you're sure about this?" he asked.

"100%." they responded.

"...this is troublesome." the man muttered. "But valuable." he finished.

"Thank you." he then said, taking a wad of cash from one of his pockets and handing it to the person. They flipped through it quickly, and whistled slightly, smirking at the amount.

"Thank YOU." they responded. "Always amazes me how much info goes for." they said.

"You get used to it." the man replied. "Now we part ways." he said.

The newcomer nodded and left the alley, with the first one waiting for a minute, and then leaving as well. He walked down the street, before stepping into a local cafe and ordering a coffee. Once he had his drink, he sat down at one of the booths, took out his phone, and called someone.

"I have information." Marcus responded.

"Time-sensitive information, to put it lightly." he told her further.

"You're going to want to see this, and you're going to want to see it ASAP." he continued, telling her where he was.

"You can either come here, or I can meet you elsewhere, but the point is, it needs to be seen, and it needs to be seen as soon as possible. And I mean that." he stressed, before clearing his throat.

"So pick a time and place." he continued.

"Wherever you'd feel the safest looking at it."

Jaden was silent for a moment, before nodding.

"I getcha." he said.

"Trust me, I understand." he told her.

"Go on." he continued.

"I'll keep an eye on things and make sure they don't burn." he went on.

"Whatever it is, it must be important." he added.

"So go on and see what that's about."

Marcus just sighed.

"I can tell I interrupted something." he said.

"Forgive me." he went on.

"But this needs your attention." he went on, withdrawing the file folder from his coat, and sliding it over.

"Take a look." he told her.

"You'll see what I mean." he mumbled, casting an occasional glance around the place.

It wasn't unknown to her that he was a bit on the cautious/paranoid side, but considering the nature of his work, it was understandable.

Inside, she found details for a chilling operation.

One that was targeting a very specific individual.

"As you can see, this is serious." Marcus told her.

"And I know this is reliable." he continued. "It came from my 'Viper' informant." he went on. "They're young, but the info they get is ALWAYS accurate." he reminded her.

"And this is going to happen soon." he continued.

"We have a LITTLE bit of preparation time, but not much."

"............." Marcus was silent as she asked her questions.

"...she's a very special young lady." he said.

"She's shy. She's had a hard past... but she's optimistic and naive." he went on.

"She's a performer, though. A magician." he continued.

"She may open up or trust someone that's also a magician." he reasoned.

"Beyond that... I'm not sure." he lamented.

Marcus shook his head.

"That's all." he said.

"Go quickly." he told her.

"I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything else." he continued.

"Again, I apologise for interrupting." he then said further.

"But this is urgent. I'm sure you understand."

Marcus watched her go, and sighed.

"..." he was silent, before staring into the coffee that remained in the mug.

"...damn it." he whispered.

"If only I could see you again... but I don't deserve it." he lamented quietly.

---

Jaden looked at her confusedly when she asked her question.

"Been a while since you asked THAT." he commented.

"But... sure? I guess?" he then said.

"What's up?" he asked.

Jaden accepted the folder, and browsed the contents.

As he did, she noticed his eyes widen a little, and she knew what it meant. She'd been around long enough to know surprise and recognition when she saw it. And she also saw... potential attraction.

"...this... this is real?" he asked.

"SHE needs protection?" he asked her.

"I mean, I'll gladly help, but... the fact that someone would want to hurt her is... well... almost unbelievable." he reasoned.

Jaden was silent for a moment.

"I see." he said.

"And yes, I can see why you thought I'd be a good choice." he went on.

He sighed quietly, and nodded.

"All right." he said.

"I'll do it." he told her.

"We'll need to formulate a plan, though. So this is done as smoothly as possible."