AN: My first crossover! The idea for a crossover between Arty and Nat has been in my brain for a long time. I mean, they're both charming, intelligent, sometimes irritating European boys, and I bet you're also wondering what they'd do if they meet each other. The first chapter will be Nathaniel's, and then we'll see how they enjoy each other's presence in the second chapter. Happy reading!

London in the morning. The city's bathed with warm sunlight, its' people scuttling here and there (well, the government people at least), and the pleasant sound of cars running and shops opening were heard everywhere. If you were observant enough, you would see some of these people are not really people. Indeed, various djinn and foliots were also busy with their errands outdoor, though of course they choose the appropriate guises here.

And then we have Nathaniel (or John Mandrake, as he liked to be called) – savior of the Prime Minister and master to the most ferocious demons – doing trivial tasks such as designing pamphlets in his office. This was an outrage, he thought furiously. He should be out there, looking for the Resistance! Nathaniel had secretly cursed the PM's decision to focus more on the anticipated war than more urgent matters at hand. Surely one of his enemies would have caughth up with him and find more news about the group by now.

Just as he was going to summon one of his spies for updates, the telephone rang. Good. Perhaps this would bring the end of his terrifically boring work.

"Hello? John Mandrake speaking."

"Hello, sir, this is Huntington, from Buckingham Gate. We have a situation …"

"What kind of situation?"

"Someone's possessed a hidden magical artifact. We believe it could be linked to the Resistance, sir."

Nathaniel couldn't suppress his smile. "Kindly elaborate, Mr. Huntington."

A young boy and a massive man set off a magic detector on a hotel in Westminster at 10 A.M in the morning. They insisted that they had not brought any magical objects, and were described to be genuinely bewildered when questioned. The boy then asked security about the existence of magic, which was certainly unusual. Furthermore, the manager said that the boy, smartly dressed and seemingly educated, didn't quite strike him as an apprentice nor a commoner. "He was too confident, sir, too ... arrogant. You would think someone like him must be a lost apprentice, but that doesn't explain the big man who came with him. The whole pair seems so peculiar, sir; perhaps it's best if you come straight here."

After a hasty thank you, Nathaniel had hung up and asked his assistant, Piper, to immediately arrange transportation. Well, this was certainly worth investigating: an odd youth with concealed magical objects and a giant by his side. Not what his mind would come up with when he thought of the Resistance, but this would do. (After all, Nathaniel would much preferred to do an interrogation than to dully continue the pamphlets he was supposed to do)

The only problem was, most of his djinn were on their respective missions. Except … except for Bartimaeus. Nathaniel had ordered him to help distribute his True War Stories, and he was sure that that could be delayed (he was mildly surprised that the public even believed the rubbish on those). However, Bartimaeus was the least obedient of his servant and had a history of showing such impertinence throughout his career. Should he risk another tiresome afternoon with the frustrating djinni just to be protected?

"Sir? The limo has arrived," called Piper.

"Thank you, Piper. I'll be down in a moment."

No time to hesitate. Using a complex hand gesture and a few Latin syllables, Nathaniel summoned Bartimaeus quickly. He grudgingly decided against going alone because no matter how irritating Bartimaeus could be, Nathaniel couldn't exactly claim that the djinni had failed him miserably in the past. Some of Nathaniel's feats were actually thanks to Bartimaeus, now that he thought about it (though no way would he admitted that in front of anyone).

Bartimaeus appeared rather sloppily, with smokes covering his upper side, and his bottom one a blur – apparently not yet deciding which guise he should wear. "Fancy seeing you," he said, finally choosing the physical guise of Kitty Jones. "What now? Paint your apartment purple? Entertain the children with magnificent clowns and puppies? Do acrobats just for the heck of it? Spit out your most humiliating order all ready, O master!"

Nathaniel was busy looking at Kitty's guise. He tutted loudly. "Must you really?"

"Must you really enslaved me?" retorted Bartimaeus.

"I haven't time to mess about, Bartimaeus," said Nathaniel. "There are suspects of the Resistance in Westminster. I wish to interrogate them, but I'm running out of djinn to protect me. You seem to be free –"

"Wrong. Enslaved, remember?"

"– so I'm taking you with me to meet them. Change your guise and let's go." Nathaniel went to the door and stride stylishly down the stairs and into his car. The djinni followed with reluctant speed, keeping Kitty Jones as his guise. He smirked a little as he noticed that Nathaniel was glancing at him and gave him the ugliest frown of disapproval not unlike a squat hippopotamus.