Chapter 2

“We personally didn’t interact with him until he caught us protecting Birdy in his absence. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly given he’s not a complete idiot, Lazlo didn’t fear us ... at that time.” Magnum Opus shifted her position to one of comfortably crossing a leg over the other. She draped an arm over the back of the folding chair and cast a quick glance behind herself, to the two way mirror she knew detectives were watching them through. A quick wink to them and she looked back to the man across the table from her. “He was respectful, what would one expect though from a master of charm and manipulation such as himself. We tolerated him, out of our obligation to Birdy. She was totally devoted to the man at this point. We knew how to defend her when there was no other option, he wanted to know how to protect her and himself, should anything go wrong with his particular ... activities.”

The time was getting closer, Jester was planning not just his next kill, but also where he and Birdy would be going next. He was lost in thought and on his way back to the motel when he heard a scuffle from the back alley. If it hadn’t been for the sound of a certain voice that was unmistakable, yet entirely alien at the same time, Jester would have simply walked on by, but instead he turned down the alley in time to see Birdy, kneeling atop a young man as she beat him to a bloody pulp. The man easily had her by roughly a hundred pounds, and yet here she was, blood splashing on her dress. “We will not allow any to bring her harm!” she growled as the mans very life slipped away under her. She looked up to see Jester, observing the scene with the indifference of an atheist at a mass. Birdy, or whoever this other entity was, slowly stood, hands at her side, she held Jester in an emotionless stare. Jester glanced down at the man on the ground, his chest wasn’t moving so he assumed the man was dead. He looked back at the young woman, “Impressive.” if he had been feeling anything at all, the young woman couldn’t tell. Instead she tilted her head slightly, taking Jester in, sizing him up like a predator sizes a potential meal, “He threatened her, she trusts you. Can you protect her?”

Jester made a motion as if he considered the question, “More or less, not so sure I can take someone three times my size like you can. Maybe you can teach me some time.” To that answer the woman crinkled her nose in disgust. “For her. We can. We are the Magnum Opus.” It almost looked like she wanted to keep conversing, instead she gripped her head in pain and fell to her knees, a small trickle of blood coming from her nose, just like the first time Jester had spoken with this other entity. He walked over and knelt down to meet the confused gaze of Birdy, now herself once more. “You okay Birdy?” He asked her, voice still cold as it had been with ‘Magnum Opus’. Birdy nodded and slowly stood again, not noticing the body below her. “Good, go back to the room, I’ll be there in a moment. Clean up and we’ll go get something to eat.” Jester told her. Birdy wordlessly complied. Once she was out of sight Jester went to work hiding the body in a dumpster and cleaning the scene of any trace of the two of them, luckily it began to rain.

Jester came back from another evening of ‘working’ looking more roughed up than Birdy had ever seen him. His entire visage was not like Birdy had experienced of him yet. She watched him closely, cautiously stood, and stepped closer to him. Jester stood, a vacant look in his eyes like he wasn’t looking at anything in particular. Birdy noticed blood in various stages of drying on both his clothing and exposed arms and face. She gently took his hand, at which Jester quickly pulled his hand away and slapped her, “Don’t touch me!” it came out more like a growl than actual human speech. Birdy recoiled more out of shock than pain. She watched him as he walked to the washroom for a shower. She rubbed her cheek slightly, tears forming in her eyes giving the room an almost underwater look to her, she slowly made her way to the washroom as well. The steam from the hot water fogged up the mirror and gently flowed around in the small room, Jester’s breathing was slightly labored as he stood motionless, his head was down, the water quickly soaking his usually wavy salt and peppered brown hair. He felt a gentle embrace wrap around his waist and opened his eyes to see two feet, still wearing socks, flank his own. ‘She’s ... still in clothes...?’ “Birdy,” he began, “are you hurt?” He felt her face pressed against his back shaking in a ‘no’ motion and then he continued, “I have a sickness, it builds to a point and that’s why I leave in the evening sometimes. I need to indulge the sickness or I’d do something to you I can’t undo.” She pressed herself closer and turned her head to the side, “In ... dulge? Means what to indulge the sickness?” Her voice came out smaller than usual, as if she was afraid to speak in his presence.