Wild Card

Newt has a very particular set of skills. He's very good at hiding in plain sight, making himself seem harmless; just an eccentric academic that wouldn't hurt a fly. He's always managed to slide through the grasping hands of the law, although there are several countries in which his various alias' have a price upon their heads. He's got the antidote to over a hundred different poisons just an Accio away, concealed in a case that's unobtrusive and bland. To create those antidotes, well, he had to get his hands on the hundred poisons too. Newt can Apparate in a heartbeat, and cast a spell quicker than a flash.

He's a magizoologist.

But that's not all he is.

Newt fished his communimirror from his pocket, and balanced it against the bamboo twigs of the occamys' nest as he fed Bluebell. She was indigo from snout to tail, having not yet absorbed enough sunlight to have brightened into the electric blue of her older siblings.

"Theseus," he greeted after a quick glance at the mirror, and continued nursing the occamy, freshly hatched from her egg. Her teeth were already formed and they latched onto the bottle, needle sharp and shiny.

"Little brother, so nice to hear from you!" Theseus exclaimed. He was scribbling away at a piece of parchment on his desk, as if he hadn't been the one to initiate the call.

Newt focused his attention on Bluebell, and waited the following silence out. It dragged, but Newt had all the time in the world - or at least more time than Theseus, who as Deputy Head of the DMLE was actually very busy, or so Newt was often informed.

Eventually, Theseus huffed, putting down the quill. "You're such a little bastard," he said. He sounded fond.

Newt flashed a grin at the mirror, before tucking Bluebell away into the occamy nest, bottle empty and her belly full.

"So, you'll never guess who I had a letter from today," Theseus began. Newt scooped up the mirror and the tub full of cockroaches and ambled back toward his shed.

"Mother?" Newt guessed, although it was unlikely.

Theseus scoffed. "Ha! As if - you know she's still angry that I recruited you; her perfect, creature-loving child. You got off scot-free! She still mutters about it on every floo call I make."

Newt rolled his eyes, and allowed Dougal to scramble up his torso to peer curiously at the mirror. Theseus ignored the demiguise and Dougal began grooming Newt's hair instead.

"So the letter wasn't from mother?" Newt said, trying to nudge his brother back in the right direction.

"No," Theseus continued, a scowl upon his face."It was Percival Graves."

Newt frowned, stopping to give the mirror his full attention for the first time. He tipped Dougal off off his shoulder and the ape loped away toward the bamboo forest.

"Percival Graves?"

Theseus nodded, looking solemn. "Apparently he wants to meet in order to 'foster international agency cooperation'."

Newt mouthed the words 'international agency cooperation' to himself. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at it while he thought. Theseus was right - this was unusual.

"Percival Graves hates your guts. Not even Picquery could persuade him to work with you when you were in the States last year." He shook his head. "He'd rather resign than owl you something like that."

"My thoughts exactly," Theseus said, looking vindicated. He wiggled his brows. "Fancy a trip to New York?"

"New York," New said, feeling a little bit like echo. He huffed a laugh, wondering what awaited him on the other side of the Atlantic. "Fine. Why the hell not?"

Word Count: 605

Character Appreciation 15. (trait) Courageous

Disney Challenge (themes) 2. Write about a magical mirror

Shannon's Showcase 27. (trait) Stubborn

Showtime 27. (plot point) asking for help

Buttons (AU) 3. Spy!AU

Ami's Audio Admirations 9. (plot point) someone who lies about their job

Insane House Competition 711. (title) Wild Card

365 Prompts 69. Demiguise

Summer Funfair Musical Challenge 5. Someone who likes adventuring

Eastern Funfair Ferris Wheel 15. (colour) indigo

Hamilton Mania Act Two 8. Siblings

Canadian Craze 9. (word) shiny

World Cup Round 16 Spain: Newt