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Each mission Neal and Jones went on resulted in the pair doing some quick gestures with their hands and then they took off, they were always sure of what the other was doing despite them not using the comms.
First time Peter saw it he brushed it off, Neal and Jones had quickly taken a liking to each other so it was highly likely that they just understood each other at a higher level, it wasn’t ASL or any form of normal sign language, it was far too simple for that.
Neal was the first of the pair to start doing it, Jones had looked shocked but he quickly fell into the habit of doing it as well, Peter had once been the victim of their strange form of communication, safe to say Jones had facepalmed when he realised who he was doing it to.
*********
When Jason and Duke had started working together they quickly realised that they clicked, it evolved over time and one day Duke had joked that they should make their own language, Jason had laughed as well before abruptly stopping and exclaiming that it was the best idea ever.
Two days later the pair had filled several sheets of paper with different hand gestures they both knew that it was silly and Jason had a suspicion that they would never use it, but as the weeks went by he quickly realised just how useful it was, none of the other bats could understand it and that meant that Duke and Jason could make gestures to each other and know every move the other would make.
It proved to be equally as useful when they both ended up at the White Collar office, on missions they could both make a few gestures and the whole mission would flow a lot better than when Jason had to play a stupid conman and Duke played an FBI agent.
It also had its downsides, it was clear that Peter had his eye on them watching their every move trying to figure out what they were doing and why they knew each other.
**********
Peter saw the pair do their sign language when they prepared to enter a gala, Neal laughed out loud and flicked his wrist in a strange manner, Jones hit him on the shoulder, it was clear that they knew each other, but the question was why? And how?
Neal got suited up with comms and a mic so that the people in the van could hear everything that was being said, they already had access to live camera footage so there was no need for him to hide a small camera somewhere on his person.
“Peter, how do I look?” Neal opened his arms towards him.
“Fine, now focus on the task at hand.”
Jones came up from behind and said “You look drop-dead gorgeous”
Neal laughed out loud after that comment, maybe they were in a relationship? It was unlikely, Jones would never cross such a line especially not when he knew the consequences of it.
The conman soon left the van to go mingle with his own kind, he hugged and kissed several cheeks of old women who lovingly approached him exclaiming loudly ‘How good it is to see you’, he also earned a few claps on the back from older gentlemen who chuckled and said ‘If only your father could see you right now’.
It was unnerving to know that the conman’s father was a part of the crime world, it opened a ton of possibilities, perhaps the whole Caffrey family was made up from criminals?
Neal strode through the ball room offering small comments to whoever approached him, it was clear that he had seen something since he didn’t stop and shower them with the Caffrey charm, but it was unclear to see who he had spotted.
The conman looked up at the camera and made an odd gesture with his hand that looked faintly birdesque, Peter immediately summoned Jones and got him to translate it for him, a mutter could be heard before he said clearer “It’s Oswald Cobblepot, he stole the painting.”
“Which one is he?”
Jones sighed loudly “It’s the man in the penguin suit”
Peter looked at him confused, scanning the footage trying to find someone dressed up as a bird. “The what?”
Exasperated, he said “Tuxedo!”
An agent was quickly sent in to escort the man called Oswald out of the gala, they didn’t want to make a scene especially not at a gala full of criminals, Jones had shook his head disapprovingly when Peter had suggested that they just escort the man out.
It was unsuccessful…
Oswald had begun waving around his cane yelling up about how ‘it was disrespectful to arrest a fine man like him’, Neal had hurried up to him and whispered something into his ear, instantly he stopped protesting and nearly just ran out of the building.
Quickly after that escapade Neal bid adieu kissing and hugging old ladies once again and having small talk with a few older men. He slipped out of a side door and within minutes he was there in the van right beside Peter.
Oswald had been put in handcuffs and told to sit still in a chair until they were ready to question him, Jones had moved closer to the man and he sat there smiling menacingly.
Neal moved over as well and smiled at Oswald “Hi, long time no see.”
Smiling at a criminal wasn’t considered threatening was it? Peter would be slightly scared if Jones had been sitting smiling like that at him, but smiling wasn’t a threat
Oswald looked over at Peter with pleading eyes “Can you please get those monsters away from me?” He gestured towards Jones and Neal.
Confused, he asked “What have they done?”
“What have they not done?”
**************
Jason would have paid so much to see Peter finish interrogating Penguin but alas he had banished both Duke and himself from the van as long as they still had Cobblepot in custody.
Duke sat beside him rambling about how Peter hadn’t known who Oswald was “-You should have seen him, confusion shined out from his eyes and then he had the nerve to ask what a penguin suit is, every sane person knows what a penguin suit is!”
Jason sighed “Peter isn’t a Gothamite, let the poor man breathe”
“No, no I will not-”
The door to the van opened and out came no other than Peter, quickly Duke switched to their personal language.
‘Suffocate in sleep, then know Gotham.’
Jason laughed, and signed back.
‘Bad idea’
A loud sigh escaped Peter “What language is that?”
The pair began laughing, Peter would have to live in ignorance for a while, until their jobs were done.