Nightingale & Peregrine

Spade looked at the door to the gallery. He used to come here all the time. He could probably pick the lock easily.

But he hadn’t been able to use his powers in a long time.

The glass shattered, and if the alarm went off, it was silent.

The guard was already holding up a tazer as Spade stepped in.

“You’re not—”

Spade made a wide sweep with his arm, pushing the tazer out of the guard’s hands. He stalked forward until he was level with the man, who was almost a head higher.

“What are—”

Spade reached out to grab the man’s head.

Sleep, he ordered, just like Diamond always did.

The man closed his eyes and began collapsing. Spade grabbed him before he could hit the floor.

“Should’ve used telekinesis,” he noted. The man was heavier than anticipated. Spade telekinetically grabbed him after panting a moment, then placed the man in the security desk chair.

“Sorry for the neck pain, friend.”

Now for the actual job.

Spade pulled out a flashlight, searching for the least familiar section.

Some things had definitely moved, but he found the student art section after a moment.

“Bobbi F.” Spade muttered as he looked for the name of each piece’s creator. He found it with a small rose pendant on a broken chain. The year on it meant the piece was over a decade old.

“Why keep it this long?”

He turned off the flashlight, waiting a moment for his eyes to adjust, then carefully lifted the necklace.

He heard footsteps. He must not have knocked out that guard. He’d just do it again if he came close.

“Shit.” A woman’s voice said, a very familiar woman’s voice.

He had to keep himself from echoing her sentiment.

Spade kept watching behind him as he ran to the park bench. The spot felt too open.

“No witches will burn,” the man next to him said. Spade handed him the necklace without bothering to look at his face.

“Is this really it?” the man asked.

“It was the first piece I found. Do you want another?”

“We’ll find out.” The man put the necklace in a bag, then in his pocket.

“If it is enough, then I’m free to go.”

The client laughed.

“You think one broken necklace is enough to end a contract?”

“The necklace was broken in the case. One job, done.”

“No it isn’t.”

“What else do you need stolen?”

Hopefully he wouldn’t need to enter the gallery again. They would beef up security, and Nightingale would probably keep an eye out too. She wouldn’t be so off-guard next time. He wasn’t sure why she was so off-guard this time.

“You’ll have your task when it’s time. Just know you’re not off the hook.”

The worst type of client was the one that kept you on retainer without actually paying you. Spade had research to do for any job. Research that was harder without the rest of his crew.

“Just tell me what it is so I can prepare.”

“I’m going to keep an eye on you until you’re useful to me again. I’ll speak to you then.”

Fuck this guy. If Spade didn’t know the price of breaking the contract, he’d throw this client into the nearest tree.

“A word of advise, my Ace of Spades,” the client interrupted his fantasy, “Don’t get distracted by the birdsong, they don’t tread the same ground we do.”

So he knew about Nightingale. Not surprising. Her presence in the area wasn’t a secret.

“My distractions are none of your business.”

As he walked away, he checked his jacket for anything that could be a bug, as well as his pant pockets. He’d check everything else on the way home.

Moses was exhausted when the sudden light forced his eyes open.

“I don’t think I got any sleep,” he mumbled as he turned away from the window.

“Did you forget you can’t lie to me?” his mother asked, pulling the covers off.

“So check if I’m lying.”

It didn’t take much effort for the cover to come right back on his body.

It was embarrassing to stay with his mother, especially when she began treating him like a teenager. Frankly, she hadn’t been this domineering when he was a teenager.

She wasn’t usually this domineering, ever.

“Okay, you caught my attention, why do you need me awake?”

“I’m meeting a friend, and I want you to come along. You could use some friends in town.”

“I have friends.”

“Do they know you’re in town?”

No. Moses had been lying low since arriving at his mother’s door, and he intended to stay that way until he finally got summoned somewhere different. He wouldn’t have even come if he had access to any money, but despite all the work he’d done, his bank accounts had been emptied by the time he got to them.

“I’m not going to stay in town long.”

“Are you going to clean my house?”

She was as work-obsessed as Eliz. He weighed the options between disappointing his mother by being unenthusiastic toward her friend, or by sitting around at her house without doing anything.

If he failed to be charming, she wouldn’t take him to do something like this again.

“Fine.”

She tossed some clothes at him.

“I got you something new to wear. You won’t make a good impression in your dirty rags.”

Moses ignored the comment as he examined the offerings: A T-shirt from his old university, and a pair of his same jeans but a darker shade of blue.

“These can’t be new.”

How did she even get something from Xavier Pacific in the town where Miskatonic West had its campus?

“I have my ways, child.”

She wiggled her fingers as she left the room.

I had my degree revoked, Moses reminded her.

You still earned one, and they didn’t steal your diploma from me.

He had managed to see every academic achievement between him and his sister still littered across the walls, yes.

I just don’t see how I’ll make a good impression if they know where to look up my academic record.

Mandie won’t mind. She knows how the purge affected us all.

He forgot he was in a power town. He tried to skim through his mind for any Mandies that he remembered, but came up blank. The name felt familiar though.

He avoided further speculation by getting ready.

This cafe hadn’t been a superhero cafe last time he came here. It was western themed, with outlaws.

“Branded Flyer makes more sense with the old theming.”

“Superheroes are more popular,” his mother insisted.

“Who cares?”

He tried to watch for his mom’s friend, but all he had was a name and pronouns. He had no idea what Mandie looked like, or how she dressed.

“She’s coming with a kid,” his mother finally revealed.

“Her kid, or someone else’s?”

“Foster,” she answered.

“A bit of both then.”

He watched for a kid then, and spotted the one that ran him over at the pharmacy last night, along with the same companion.

No way.

What?

That her?

Telepathy removed the need to point, which gave him a possible opportunity to leave until his mother waved down the woman—Mandie.

Mandie looked the same as she did at the pharmacy: Red hair that reached below her shoulder with some volume, a white sundress, and noticeable dots of freckles on her face and down her arms.

The little girl seemed opposite. Her skin was clear and brown, her hair was a darker shade of brown and flat as a board, and she dressed in warm clothes befitting the colder weather. Thankfully, she seemed less beset by allergies this morning, so that was a blessing.

“Emily!” Mandie jaunted over and gave Moses’ mother a hug. Her foster-kid followed at a more leisurely pace.

“Good to see you again,” Moses said, returning matching signs to his speech.

“You’re going to make me feel like an asshole,” Emily said, Moses instinctively translating for her until she pushed his hands down.

“Don’t worry about it,” Mandie said, signing along, “Pandora could use the signing practice.”

Mom sighed, but pulled her hand away from Moses’.

“Mandie, this is my son, Moses. He’s been staying with me for the past week or so. Moses, this is Mandie, she lives in town, and does work for that Heroes’ Guild thing.” She waved her arms in insistent ignorance.

Moses knew enough about the new Heroes’ Guild to know they wouldn’t hire anyone for just anything.

“What do you do for them?”

“I make costumes,” she explained, “And design them, and repair them, and make a lot of spares. You wouldn’t believe how many trenchcoats Berserker goes through in a month.”

“The crazy guy?” Moses thought Berserker was a complete loner, “He’s in the Guild?”

“He’s officially an Abnormals member, and they’re founders.”

Moses scoffed, he’d seen the expressions at the press conference when Berserker announced himself. He was only official because they couldn’t kick him out in front of an audience.

“What do you do?” Mandie asked, some accusation in the tone.

“I’m between jobs at the moment, which is why I’m staying with my mother.”

She watched him intently, trying to gauge something.

“We should head inside, get some drinks,” Mom said, “What cocoa do want this time, angel.”

Pandora was excitedly clinging mom’s hand, clearly considering her a benefactor.

“Is she that angelic?” Moses muttered.

Mandie shrugged.

“She’s sweet, but I think Emily has grandma eyes about her.”

“Grandma eyes?”

“I see it with my nephew and his grandmother all the time. The kid’s not actually her responsibility, so she just wants to make him happy. Emily acts the same way with Pandora.”

She paused for a moment.

“It was weird to imply your mother was acting like a grandma around the kid I care for to your face, sorry.”

“No apologies needed. Who doesn’t dream of an attractive woman saying your mom wants a grandchild?”

She didn’t respond to the compliment, just watching him intently. Her eyes were a sparkling gray, adding a certain sharpness to an otherwise ingénue presentation.

“Have we met before the pharmacy thing?” he asked after the observation became uncomfortable.

“Maybe?” Mandie shrugged, “Just trying to place you, I guess.”

“Place me where?”

“Wherever I’ve seen you before, if anywhere.”

“Did you go to XU Pacific?” he asked, gesturing to the t-shirt.

Mandie shook her head.

“Never went to college.”

“Maybe I just look like my mom,” he offered.

“No,” she looked at the top his head. She had almost a head over him in her heels, so it wasn’t difficult, “Emily isn’t blond.”

Moses instinctively covered his hair. He’d redyed it recently without thinking. Did he miss a spot?

Mandie giggled.

“I didn’t mean to cause concern. I’ve just got a better eye for this sort of thing.”

He looked at her hair to figure out if the vibrant color was from dye, but no such luck.

Are you going to get drinks, or are you just going to gawk at each other?

Emily and Pandora were standing at the counter, waiting for distribution. The line was clear for the register.

“I’ll buy you some coffee,” Mandie offered.

“I never say no to free coffee.”

Especially when he was broke. Was he even going to be paid for the gallery deal? The contract required compensation even if it gave the client incredible leverage.

Mandie got “The Nightingale”, so Moses did the same.

The moment it was ready, he took a sip.

It was bland: A light roast, a little bit of tea flavoring, and some floral aftertaste too weak to discern.

“Not your type?” Mandie asked.

“The superhero’s fine, but your taste in drinks is abysmal.”

“Everything else is too strong,” Mandie admitted, taking a sip, “I guess I like to taste the water.”

Moses grimaced, handing her the drink.

“One to keep in the fridge or something.”

“I’ll get you another.”

“I’m not risking another dud.”

It wasn’t like he wanted coffee. He was only here on his mother’s orders, and he didn’t actually want Mandie to like him, no matter how much he watched her flitting eyes.

Wait. His mom kept leaving him alone with a strange woman whose kid she liked.

Was this supposed to be a date?

He looked behind him. Emily and Pandora sat at a two-person table.

“Fuck.”

“I see you just figured it out,” Mandie said, “Don’t worry, I’m not really interested in a relationship at the moment. Don’t want to break into my free-time.”

“And I’m not really relationship material,” Moses assured, looking Mandie up and down again. Her freckles seemed to show up everywhere, and she held herself like she wasn’t afraid of everything. He might enjoy seeing where all those freckles went. “If you want some harmless fun though, I’m your guy.”

Mandie held her hand over her mouth, then swallowed. Moses waited.

“Not looking for that either,” she finally said.

“Sorry,” Moses apologized.

“But thanks for the offer,” she said before he finished.

“Thanks for not spitting on me after propositioning you,” he added.

“I shouldn’t have expected anything less direct from Emily’s son.”

He wasn’t sure if that was harsher on him or his mother. It was probably meant to be a neutral comment.

“It is because of you though?” he checked, “Not because I disgust you or anything?”

“Trying to figure out your chances?”

“Trying to figure out if you want me out of the way next time you see my mother.”

She tilted her head slightly as she watched him, a bit like a confused bird.

“You’re alright,” she admitted, “I don’t really know you, but your offer wasn’t completely out of line given the context.”

“I try. Next time—” His gaze suddenly turned toward the window; his sister waved.

He hadn’t had a chance to talk to her since he left.

“Sorry,” he said, “I gotta go. I just saw someone I need to talk to.”

He did his best to rush without interrupting anyone else. By the time he got outside, she was gone.

“No witches will burn,” his client said at one of the tables.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Moses kept scanning for his sister.

“And you were so eager for your assignment before.”

Moses reluctantly took the seat across from him. He thought of trying to make people pay less attention, but with his psychic experience, they would just watch him more. Now that Moses finally got a look at him, the client looked familiar, but a lot of blond men looked the same.

“What is it?” Moses asked.

“Last night was a test,” his client explained, “This morning proved you were the right man for the job.”

How did he prove that?

“I need you to gain the trust of Nightingale or Mandie Piec, both would be better.”

“What do you—”

“All in good time, son. Expect a few more odd jobs until you succeed, just to make sure our goals are still aligned.”

“How am I supposed to earn their trust?”

“The method is entirely up to you. Seduction seems within your means, for example.”

At least he hadn’t listened in, or maybe he was just teasing Moses for being rejected.

“What are you going to do if I refuse?”

The client smiled.

“Once you accept, your financial burden will be lifted. Your accounts were handled to keep you where we wanted you. Refuse, and you stay broke, not to mention…”

He gestured in the direction of the dyed-red hair Moses had been searching for earlier.

Moses was off. Chasing after his sister should have been easier, with the lack of people in the area, but after a few minutes he lost her in front of Ben’s gym.

He wanted to leave, but he was busy panting. He thought he was more athletic than this.

“Moses?” Ben asked, “How long have you been in town?”

If he left town, he would be dealing with consequences, but if he stalled long enough, he could maybe find a way out of this, ask Nightingale if she had any connections.

“About a week,” Moses admitted, “Didn’t think I’d be here long, but it looks like my stay’s been extended.”