Pushing Daisies (darthlegolas/Smith)

Black Jack walked along the roof top as he waited for his target, he hated waiting, he used to be better at the waiting game, but it seemed like lately not standing still was the only thing that kept him from going insane from boredom. He knew he probably should be calm, cool, collected, after all that is what the H.I.V.E taught him to be. But he couldn't help himself, he was just too excited!

The person he was waiting for was a certain gentleman that he knew was referred to as "Smith". "Why the quotations you might ask, good question, you see boys and girls, "Smith" is a secret agent of sorts. He works for the group known colloquially as L.A.W, for those of you who have just tuned in, well we're about to find out what L.A.W stands for courtesy of that guy coming out the building across the street." Black Jack started talking to himself as he saw Smith come out of the safe house that had been given to him by the organization that he was working for.

Black Jack didn't know enough about the organization to know for certain how they would react to his proposal, and what he did know only served to make him giddy. Black Jack loved men in black suits with black SUV's and code names like "Smith" and "Jones", they were always the most fun to deal with. After all, it's all the more satisfying to watch the people who think they control everything and can manipulate everything, struggle for ground as they have the game ripped out from under their feet.

Black Jack watched as his plan came into motion as the little girl that he had paid to give Smith his bouquet of daisies from the nearby flower cart, ran up to the man with the flowers in hand. Black Jack had simply wrote on the address card "Park 3:30. I have a proposal for you. XOXO."

Smith had just finished a long, boring meeting and was still wearing his uniform, which looked deceptively like a normal, low-ranking army officer's uniform. In reality, he had earned far more ranks than the uniform showed. It was a slight ruse to avoid unnecessary attention. People were usually kinder to vets than they were to secret agents.

A girl ran up to him and handed Smith a bouquet of flowers. Smith's eyebrows raised in confusion as he accepted the gift.

"Park 3:30. I have a proposal for you. XOXO"

What? Perhaps the girl had given the bouquet to the wrong person. Still, it seemed strange. Smith looked around to see if anyone was watching him. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he headed for the park.

Touching his finger to his ear briefly, he spoke to an agent back at HQ. "I've recieved an invitation to an unknown social event. Please keep an agent or two standing by."

"Yes, yes, fall into my plans mwahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Black Jack cackled madly as he rubbed his hands together, watching as the secret agent received the invitation he had extended to the man down below on the street. With a sweeping motion like an old movie villain, Black Jack jumped off the top of the building and started making his way to the park, he had preparations to make.

A few minutes later, Smith arrived at the park and looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He wondered when his "host" would show himself. His watch said 3:30. He kept a hand near his handgun, which was hanging from a holster on his right thigh.

At that moment, a cell phone rang on the park bench next to Smith, a small sticky note that read "Answer Me." was stuck to it. On the park bench next to the phone, a smelly bum sat, a brown paper bag in his hand. Across from the bench and around Smith were other people, some standing in line at a hot dog stand, others watching over their kids as they played on the play ground, all in all it was an ideal day at the park by most anyone's standards.

The phone continued to ring, almost expectantly at Smith...

"You've got to be kidding me," Smith muttered as he picked up the phone. Was there some trickster playing a game with him. If this got out of hand, he would need to take valuable time to hunt this child down.

Activating the cell phone, Smith answered. "You've taken quite an elaborate means to get to this point. Tell me what you want now or I'm out."

"Easy there, big fella'. Easy. Just had to make sure that we would be talking privately, after all, you can't blame me for being worried about dealing with a spook now can you?" Black Jack said, a rather cocky canter in his voice. "But with that said and aside, I think you and I have business for one another. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I have business with you. You see "John", you don't mind if I call you John do you? After all you're already "Smith" figured I'd finish the name for you. You ever see Pocahontas "John" hell of a film, really good musical score. Anyways, you see "John" I can offer you and the people that employ you something that you've both been wanting for a very long time. " Black Jack paused his words dramatically as he let everything he said sink into the special agents mind, letting wonder just who the hell he was and what the hell he was offering.

Black Jack was getting quit the kick out of this so much so that he could feel his mental hackles rise the way they used to back when he was killing cops and burning down neighborhoods. Oh, those were the days, back when killing and torturing still had that new experience smell to it, back when everything was shiny and new! But that was back then and this was now. Pulling his attention back to the man on the other end Black Jack finished his statement as he couldn't help but let his own sadistic pleasure seep into the words. "I can give you the Titans."

Smith was irritated during the jokes about his name. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his real name wasn't Smith. Fortunately, only about five people on the planet knew his real identity. It hardly mattered, though. That life was far behind him.

Then came the offer. This mysterious, unknown figure had offered to "give" him the Titans.

Smith couldn't resist a laugh. The Double-Man Project would certainly need no help in rounding up the Teen Titans if the need arise. Right now, the 'battle' was on hold while bigger issues were being sorted out. Did this interloper know who he was getting involved with? "The Titans, you say? That's a most interesting offer, Pochahontas. I've heard of self-proclaimed super-villains making deals with people to get rid of meta-human vigilantees, but never thought I'd be involved in such a deal."

Smith looked around the park, trying to spot the person he was talking too. This man must have some sort of visual on him. That was how their minds worked.

"Before I start asking you all the obvious questions, I have to wonder. Why do you think my superiors are interested in the Teen Titans. Furthermore, if we are interested in them, then why would we not simply invite them over for supper? Please, sir, you tell me who my superiors are."

"Tututut, Mr. Smith, I'm no super-villain, or even a villain for that matter, I'm merely a concerned member of society that can be places you cannot, gain trusts that you cannot. And do it all without a high one-sided body count." Black Jack knew about the losses that had been plaguing Smith and his side since they started their little "crusade" against the Titans, he figured it wouldn't hurt to remind "Smith" of it.

"As for why you simply wouldn't invite them over for dinner? Well, this one of those times that the old saying "Actions speak louder than words" works rather nicely don't you think? After all, Your actions and those of your compatriots are all the answer that I need as far as why you would not simply invite them over to dinner. You want them either in a cell or in a body bag. I've worked with your type before "John", I know how you and yours like to work." Black Jack found himself enjoying this conversation, he had expected verbal jousting and some cajoling, but this man far exceeded his expectations, which made this both fun, and dangerous.

"Which brings me to my next point "John", how long have you been trying to get the Titans only to have them slip out of you grasp? I mean really, it would seem that if you aren't being out done by them, that something even more powerful and horrible is attracted to them and rolls up and beats you both down something fierce. I mean "ancient daemon princes" ? No one was expecting that and yet it still happened. And you can say "they got lucky" or "you'll get them next time", but we both know you won't, because you can't. You're held back by a raving psychotic of a meta-human that's as reliable as water is dry, and you're weighed down by the responsibility you have to those that work both below and above you. With all that, I'm surprised that you've gotten as far as you have." Black Jack said a slight tone of bemusement riding on his words as he merely told the agent what he probably already knew to be truth.

"Which really begs the question "When?"" Black Jack couldn't help himself but let a good portion of evil side slip back into the tone of his and his lead up to what he was saying next, he only had to wait for Smith to take the queue in order for perfect delivery. Black Jack paused, waiting.

Smith could almost not believe his ears. This guy actually thought that Double-Man was a one-dimensional government program that existed only to defeat the Teen Titans. In reality, there were far more important things that Smith and his bosses were concerned about: terrorism, political assassinations, world wars, alien invasions, and so on.

Yes, the Titans had proven to be a nuisance. They had thus far gone unpunished for their crimes of theft, murder, and misuse of government property. Having somebody take care of them without having to worry might be nice, but only if this person could actually deliver.

"I won't ask about your qualifications because I have a feeling you won't reveal them. You must also be pretty full of yourself to even make this arrangement. I must ask, however, what do you want in return? Please note that the Titans must not be killed, and they must be delivered to my base. So, what do you want from me?"

"Well, aren't we just the demanding type. Here someone offers you to make your life a bit easier and remove a pest, and you're questioning my credentials? And on top of that you want me to deliver them to your base? My my, I wasn't aware this was a negotiation, especially since if I wanted to, I could simply do the Titans the favor right here and end you and any threat that you pose to them. Maybe your replacement would be more forth coming, what do you think?"
Black Jack wanted the man to know fear, realize that if he really wanted to, he could snuff him out in the middle of a crowded park and it wouldn't bother him an ounce. Hell, he wouldn't even lose sleep over it.

"No, how we're going to do this, is that I will contact you, when I've done my work, you will do the transport. After all, with all of your organization's connections I doubt that it would really be much effort for you all to drive out some place with some humvees and pick up people that are sedated and restrained. Or did you think that I would do something stupid and give you the opportunity to arrest me?" Black Jack couldn't stand that this man was trying to place terms on such a good deal that he had offered him. He wasn't even asking him for anything, yet.

" As for what I want Mr. Smith? I want what everyone wants...including you. I want you and your organization to leave and go some where else. I want your presence removed from the city other than just in an insulary sort of way. I want this city left to me and the police Mr. Smith. That's what I want. What that means though is that you and your "organization" will have to call off the lock down of Jump City, that you'll have to stop hunting metas in the street like wild animals Mr. Smith. Jump City operated without you before, it can take care of itself again. That's what I want Mr. Smith, that, and my balloon back." Black Jack said as a man that was wearing a blue windbreaker in the playground across from Smith lost a balloon as he was talking on the phone.

((The last bit of this post turned into Agent Smith from the matrix, I couldn't help it, it just seemed to have that right energy mix of malice and indifference.))

Now the deal-maker was threatening him? Smith couldn't decide what side this guy was on.

Smith had lost all of his men in the last campain against the Titans. Not a single soldier had survived. His four agents had survived because they had not been involved. Currently, Double-Man was extremely short on manpower. Smith's personal army was now made up of a few army troopers and some interns. The loss of his marines had been a huge loss to the Project.

But more than that, it was a personal loss for them. He had failed his men. It had been his duty to get them out of the battle alive, and he had allowed them all to die. Those men had families and friends, things Smith could only remember once having. Perhaps his death wouldn't be such a bad thing. Right now, he didn't have very much to live for.

The man's demands were rediculous. Double-Man would never leave Jump City. They were here to stay. They had to protect the world from meta-human threats of all kinds, and Jump City was the best place to do this.

Balloon? Did that mean that guy in the blue coat was the man on the phone? If he revealed himself, it was probably to allow Smith to try to kill or capture him, with intentions of displaying his power. Smith decided to delay any attacks for now.

"You can kill me if you want, but you won't be happy. You'll never get what you seek and the next Smith will be just as stubborn as me, I assure you. Now, let me think. You're a meta-human who has been annoyed by our recent meta-human hunt. It sounds to me like you're not very secure with your situation. Also, you bear no personal malice towards the Titans, but you're willing to off them in order to achieve your goals. Mr. Balloon, even as we speak, Double-Man opperatives are working to figure out who you are based on these clues. We have files on all the meta-humans in Jump, and very soon, Mr. Balloon, we will find out which one of them you are. This conversation has been recorded and transmitted, so killing me will do you no good. However, if you must kill me, tell the Titans that I have to cancel our afternoon tea for tomorrow."