Oh my gosh guys I'm back! Le gasp!
To be honest, I kinda stopped writing fanfic for a while, so I'm so sorry if this sounds a bit weird. I've missed it, though. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into writing again, and I decided to start with some old ideas. This is one of the dust bunnies way back in my brain, and since it's the oldest I decided to start with this!
I love you all and I want to give a little shout out to cloudysunset (guest) for leaving a review on one of my other stories and got me back into writing. Also to all who favorited and followed my stories over the past few years!
There should not be a disclaimer on this website. You guys know what is and isn't mine by now.
So, without further ado, here is Of Slime and Sickness!
Alec leaned heavily against the wall and let out a tired sigh. He was pathetically curled up on the floor of his bathroom in front of the toilet, having spent the last few minutes puking his guts out. Or trying to. He'd woken up at midnight - 5 hours ago - nauseous and hadn't moved from his bathroom floor since.
Shadowhunters didn't usually get sick - runes usually prevented that - but if he had to guess it was probably because of Izzy's cooking. They're parents were in Idris with Max again, leaving the sixteen, fifteen, and fourteen year olds to fend for themselves. It was either eat whatever leftovers from Izzy's latest creation there were, or starve.
Right now, Alec thinks starving was the better option.
He shivered weakly as his stomach flipped again and he swallowed hard, although this time it was nothing but discomfort. Around 3am the gagging turned into dry heaves as there was nothing left to bring up.
He finally slipped into a light doze with his arms wrapped protectively around his stomach when someone knocked on his bedroom door.
"Alec! Get up! There's a demon nest in Central Park. Be downstairs in five!" Isabelle called.
Alec cleared his throat, knowing Izzy wouldn't leave without some sort of response. "Alright," he managed. His throat burned when he spoke, and his voice was shot, but Izzy either didn't notice - which was unlikely - or was only half awake herself and didn't have the capacity to care at the moment - which was very likely.
Izzy walked back to her room, her heels making a click click click echo down the empty hallway. How she can manage to wear heels at 5am, Alec thought, I'll never know.
Taking a deep breath to try and steady himself - and just getting more nauseous for his trouble - Alec gingerly stood. So much for that balancing rune, he thought ruefully, clutching the wall for dear life as the room slowly spun around him.
Quite frankly, his reflection scared him. He was paler than usual with dark bruises under his eyes, making his overall complexion look even worse. Even his lips were white.
He carefully leaned over the sink and splashed some cold water on his face. It didn't do much, but it did bring a little color, so hopefully Izzy and Jace wouldn't notice too much.
He hastily tried to brush the snags out of his unruly hair with his fingers, brush his teeth, and put on his gear. It took him longer than it should have - if he moved too fast the room spun - but he was finally downstairs eight minutes later.
"There's the sleeping beauty!" Jace smirked. "Well, maybe more like the sleeping troll," he amended, looking over Alec's rumpled appearance.
Alec just glared, and Izzy rolled her eyes. "Come on boys," she said, leading the way to the elevator. "The demons aren't going get rid of themselves."
They followed, and Alec swallowed a gasp when the elevator began to lurch downward. The movement caused his stomach to cramp, and took all his willpower not curl up into a whimpering ball. He was a shadowhunter, and shadowhunters did not whimper.
They did, apparently, turn a few shades whiter, because Izzy gave him a concerned look. "Alec, are you okay?" She asked.
Alec gave her a fake smile and hoped she fell for it. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, cursing how hoarse his voice sounded.
Jace snorted. "Yeah you certainly sound fine. It's like you're twelve all over again."
Alec glared at Jace and punched his arm.
~s&s~
By the time they'd made the fifteen minute walk to Central Park Alec was hot, dizzy, and exhausted. Everything he looked at kept moving and nothing looked familiar, so they could be in New Jersey for all he knew.
The trio walked into the woods - because obviously demons can't stay somewhere that isn't muddy or crawling with bugs and snakes - with Isabelle leading the way and Alec bringing up the rear. So when Isabelle screamed, Alec was last to know why.
A huge, slimy, bitumen demon loomed in front of her, a drop of its slime barely missing her by an inch. Bitumen demons were ugly, covered in snot-like ooze, and extremely venomous. The ground it walked on withered and steamed from the slime, and it had nearly hit Alec's little sister.
Nothing clears the head like adrenaline, Alec has often found, and so everything suddenly came into focus. A quick glance around told him the big one must be the mother, and so was the greatest threat. The smaller ones huddles together were most likely the babies. Alec remembered Hodge saying bitumens did not become deadly until they were two years old, and these were far too young to be anywhere near that age. From their size, Alec guessed they were about a month old.
Izzy ran for the cover of the nearest tree, barely escaping the gloop that was shot at her. Her whip would not be very helpful in this situation, Alec realized. It would be corroded within minutes of touching the slime, and would then fling the deadly stuff around, putting her brothers in danger.
Flame, Alec thought frantically. Hodge said the slime is flammable. "Jace!" He called - or tried too. His voice would hardly reach talking volume, but he needed to get his parabatai's attention. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Jace!"
Alec was pretty sure he felt his throat implode at that much volume, but Jace whirled around from where he was crouched behind a pile of rocks. "I need your stele!" Alec said, desperately trying to get the message across. Why did I leave my stele in my room? Alec asked himself. Father would kill me if he knew I made such a stupid mistake.
Although Alec knew Jace wouldn't have been able to hear him - even with the times to enhance hearing - he seemed to understand anyway. He quickly pulled the stele out of his boot and tossed it the fifteen feet to Alec before ducking back behind the rocks as a jet of slime shot toward him.
Alec thankfully caught it and ducked behind his tree shield as more slime flew toward him.
"Hey ugly! Didn't you're parents ever teach you to cover your mouth?" Jace taunted.
Dammit, Jace, not now! Alec thought, frantically drawing the flame rune on one of his arrows. Thank god he'd brought it, otherwise they'd be in real trouble.
When he popped out of his cover with the flaming arrow notched, he saw what Jace was doing. He was luring the creature toward a small clearing, giving Alec the clearest spot possible, for which Alec was extremely grateful. Alec's fingers shook as he pulled the arrow taunt and let it fly.
Although he'd aimed for the center of the creature, the arrow had flown slightly left. However, it still sunk in deep, and pretty soon the bitumen demon was shrieking and stumbling, the slime covering it burning and charring the sensitive skin underneath. Izzy took the opportunity to strike with her whip, and the ichor flowed freely from what Alec thought was the things throat.
At the sight of their mother the babies all shrieked and stampeded toward the shadowhunters. They were no bigger than house cats, but with twenty or so of them attacking the shadowhunters were quickly covered in harmless and sticky slime.
Jace slashed through as many as possible with his saraph blade and Izzy expertly wielded her whip. Alec used his arrows on the ones that were attempting to attack his siblings from behind, and was taken by surprise when one latched itself onto his back, sinking surprisingly sharp teeth into his shoulder.
His gasp was cut short as the thing used the opportunity to shoot slime down his throat, and Alec fell to his knees choking. Jace ran forward and stabbed it, hitting Alec's back to get him to breathe.
If he could, Alec would have told him he wasn't helping. As it was, though, he could barely form a coherent thought. His stomach, still sensitive and sore from this morning, made its unhappiness clear as his body once again tried to make him puke his guts up. All it managed to do was being up some gross slime and bile.
When he was done, Alec sat panting and shivering on the grass with Jace's arm being the only thing keeping him upright. Izzy crouched down and put a hand to his face, hissing at the heat she felt. She placed her hand under his chin and forced his hazy blue eyes to look into her own.
"Alexander, how long have you been sick?" She demanded.
Alec swallowed and wrapped his arms around his middle. He'd been full named, so this was not going to be pretty. "Since last night," he croaked.
Isabelle's eyes darkened in a mixture of fury and concern. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "So you mean to tell me you've been sick all night and didn't bother to mention it? You could have been killed! What do you think Jace and I would have done if that happened? Do you ever think? You can't just risk your life for no reason!" She ranted.
"Izzy, I hate to break it to you, but we risk our lives every day," Jace interrupted. "And if Alec hadn't been here, we probably would have died. It's not like we actually paid attention in Hodges demon studies class to begin with."
Izzy's mouth snapped shut. She glared at both of them then abruptly stood up. "Fine," she huffed. "Let's get him home." She turned and walked off.
Jace watched her go. "Well, she's helpful." He glanced at his parabatai, who was still shivering next to him, despite feeling like a human furnace. "Come on, snot-wad." He said, helping Alec to his feet.
Alec gave a weak snort. "You're more covered than I am," he said, wincing and rubbing his throat as he did.
Jace glanced down at his own slime covered gear. "Touché," he said, as they both hobbled toward home.
~s&s~
An hour late found Alec finally clean, covered in blankets, and curled up in bed. Jace sat with him, flipping through some swimsuit magazine stolen from Izzy's room and providing constant commentary on the models.
"Dude, this girl's tits are fantastic. Do you think they're real? I know mundanes use plastic surgery sometimes. I mean these things are massive. Honestly she kinda looks like Barbie - it's weird. Remember those dolls Izzy used to have? The ones we would cut the hair off of and tattoo with sharpie? Although Izzy did that to them herself too... She's kinda twisted, you know that? I pity the guy who wants to date her. If he ever does anything wrong she liable to string them up by the b-"
"Jace, if she walks in here and you're talking about her she's liable to string you-"
Just then, the door opened and Isabelle walked in wearing a smile that could scare a shark. "I'm sorry boys, I didn't catch that. I'm liable to do what, exactly?"
Alec and Jace glanced at each other and it took all Alec's will power to not burst out laughing, no matter how nauseous it would make him.
Jace gave Izzy his most charming smile. "Oh nothing, dear sister of mine. We were simply looking back on the nostalgia of the past where we didn't have to worry about beating boys off with a stick for you."
Alec snorted. "Or wishing them luck, since you'd more likely kill them yourself," he added.
Izzy grinned and patted his head. "I knew you were my favorite," she said, elicting an indignant "hey!" and a pout from Jace. She perched herself on the edge of Alec's bed and brought a bag onto her lap.
She gave Alec an appraising look, then turned to Jace. "Did he puke again?" She asked.
"I can answ-" Alec began, but was cut off.
"I wasn't asking you," Izzy glared. "Did he?" She asked again, turning back to Jace.
"No," Jace replied, flipping the magazine page.
"Good." She dug around in the bag, and brought out a few to-go cups and some to go soup containers. She took a sip from each drink then passed it to its rightful owners. "Coke for Jace, ginger ale for Alec, and tea for me."
Jace perked up. "You got us Taki's?"
Izzy nodded, then opened the lids of the take out containers and gave them their food with plastic spoons. "I got you both your favorites. And Alec, you don't have to eat all of it, but I would appreciate it if you tried," she said, watching Alec's face turn white. He nodded and placed his drink on the nightstand to take the soup from her.
They were quiet for a few minutes, then "Jace is that my magazine?"
Jace's eyes darted up to Isabelle. "Maybe."
Alec watched with a smirk as his sisters eyes narrowed. "You went into my room?"
Jace's eyes widened. "…No." He lied very unconvincingly.
Izzy carefully put her soup down on the floor. "You went in my room, and you took something?" The malice in her voice was reaching danger levels.
Alec couldn't help laughing as she launched herself across the bed at Jace, no matter how nauseous it made him.
Thank you guys for reading! Hugs for all! And reviews make me insanely happy, hint hint wink wink. :P