(Well, I'd like to thank those of you who are still reading; really, thanks.)

DISCLAIMER(Since I forgot to do it last chapter): I do not own The Bartimaeus Trilogy in any way whatsoever.

Muffins and Cookies:

Chapter Two

Kitty Jones stared at her watch impatiently as a cold rush of air ran through her hair. Her jacket did a pathetic job of keeping her warm, so she had it slung over her right shoulder.

"The bus is sure taking forever," she thought while taking a seat on the bench beside her. It was 9:25; the bus would always arrive at the bus stop at exactly 9:20; something was definitely wrong. Kitty yawned and rubbed her eyes.

The streets were calm and silent. The small aura of light around the single street light across from her faded slightly. It was all… peaceful; too peaceful.

There was a sudden scuttling noise behind the bench; she sat straight and strained her ears. There it was again, and again! The noise was becoming louder; she was holding her breath, until the wood creaked slightly.

Kitty turned her head to see a somewhat small muffin sitting next to her. She stared at it for the longest time, wondering how a muffin got onto the bench.

"Did someone place it there?" she muttered before poking at it. The muffin turned just a little before hissing. A sharp array of fangs suddenly protruded from a hole in its center, and two red eyes opened. It screeched and lunged at Kitty, startling her(I mean, who wouldn't be startled by a muffin attacking them?).

The muffin growled and plunged its teeth into Kitty's left arm. She winced before knocking it away with her free arm. The muffin fell and rolled on the ground. It hopped back up and jumped at its prey. Not being one to allow herself to be killed, Kitty stood from the bench and began to run, noticing more muffins flying through the sky in her direction. She turned into an alleyway and stopped.

The muffins did not seem to have noticed her, and kept flying and hopping straight ahead. She sighed in relief and took a few steps back, before falling through an invisible hole.

Forty Minutes Earlier…

Nathaniel furiously kicked at the Nocujin, slamming it against the door. "Stay away from me; stay away!" he yelled as the car suddenly slammed to a stop.

The glass door slid down and William peeked in. "Would you like something to eat Mr. Mandrake? We've decided to pick up some food. Jane is in a great hurry, so tell me now.

"Can… you not see… I'm being viciously attacked… by a muffin? Help!"

William sighed and drew a small remote from his pocket. Upon pressing a button, the muffin instantaneously blew up, splattering dough everywhere.

"Are we ready, William?" Jane asked. He nodded. "Yes, Mr. Mandrake isn't hungry."

"Good."

The vehicle turned into the parking lot of an old warehouse, parking near a rusted, worn- out gate. Jane quickly exited the car, leaving William to drag Nathaniel out by his legs.

"No worries, Mr. Mandrake; we'll have a nice cup of tea prepared for you once we get everything sorted out," he stated while following Jane into the building, stopping before a broken down vending machine, which, by the way, appeared very out of place. After inputting a new numbers, the machine opened, revealing a descending staircase. The three advanced.

Jane took the lead and walked through the first chamber, which seemed to be the main room for the entire base. Seven other hallways branched off to the sides, but they went down the one straight ahead.

Nathaniel took the time to look around from his place on the ground. A large amount of people wearing the same uniform as Jane and William were strolling around, taking care of errands; most carried stacks of paper, and computers, among other things, lined the walls. It was really just one, big commotion.

The hallway they entered was much calmer, with only a few personnel checking up on things. They continued down the hallway until they reached an average- sized door with a peculiar panel to the left. Jane took out a plastic card and slid it through a small crease in the panel. The door opened automatically, allowing entrance to the final chamber of the hallway.

A cloaked man wearing a hood was looking over some papers as they walked in. William had helped Nathaniel up so that he was standing on his feet, as well as cut the rope which had tied his hands together.

"Sir," William began, "we've brought him."

The man looked up, his face covered in shadow. "Ah, Mr. Mandrake, I see you're in a content condition. I do hope my subordinates treated you fairly; we have important matters to take care of, so, if you wouldn't mind, please take a seat."

Without a word, Nathaniel sat down in a leather chair across the desk from the man, who turned in his seat. "As I'm sure you know, horrendous creatures have been let loose upon London, and soon, if nothing is done about it, they will spread across the globe. They are called 'Nocujin', man- made demons created from merging different magic from different types of regular demons."

"And they look like muffins?"

"Well… yes. Now, the reason we brought you here is because we have a mission for you to undertake for us. All of our members will be busy with trying to control the chaos in London, so, you being a skilled magician, will be the one to find the source of the Nocujin and disable it. If possible, you would also track down the one responsible for these creatures."

Nathaniel fidgeted in his seat. "Alright, but don't you have someone else in mind for this? There are definitely better magicians than I out there."

The man nodded. "Yes, but we do not have time to enlist just anyone. You were chosen Mr. Mandrake, but do not fear, you will be allowed to summon a djinni to assist you; you will also have a partner, magician or otherwise."

Nathaniel sighed. "Really? Must I summon a djinni?"

"For your own personal safety, I would recommend it. Now, as for your partner, we have no one in mind for the moment, but we are working on it. A few of my best members have been scouring the city all night with our, 'Worm Holes', so they should find someone suitable for the mission." The man stood up. "You will be given half an hour to acquire the help of your demon; after that I would like you and the djinni to come back here to meet your partner as well as to have the mission explained more explicitly. William, please escort Mr. Mandrake to a guest room. Jane, go and check up with Wesley, please."

William grasped Nathaniel by the arm and led him away.

Ten Minutes Later…

Kitty awoke slowly, blinking a few times to allow her eyes to adjust. "What…?" she muttered before standing from the bed and rubbing her eyes. "Must've been drugged or something…"

She was in a small room; only a bed was present. She exited the room, slowly eyeing her surroundings. The hallway was quiet, except for the sound of chalk against wood in the room across from her. She was tempted to look, but a strong hand grabbed her arm. "Hold on, Ms. Jones, we have to get you prepared."