Magnus loved Alec, he loved every part of him, but sometimes the Nephilim just insisted on being stupid.

The warlock placed his hands on his hips as he watched his boyfriend rub a hand over his face in frustration.

"You know I love you, and I don't care who knows it, but the Clave are already going to be hard enough to deal with and you know they'll be rude to you. You don't have to go, I can tell you everything that happens, it's just a debrief of the plans for taking down Valentine."

Magnus heard the words being said but didn't like what they meant.

"You don't want them to see us together. As if they don't already know."

Alec pleaded with him, hands clasped in front of his chest.

"It's just going to make things harder than they need to be. There's a lot going on right now and you know they always insult you. You don't need that."

Magnus frowned, feeling more insulted by their conversation than what he might be at the Clave's meeting.

"I can handle it. I've been dealing with it for centuries, if you'd forgotten. If you don't want to be seen with me Alec, I understand but it doesn't make it any better. I know you want to be head of the institute one day, but I thought you wanted me to be there with you when you did."

Alec looked pained. "I do!"

Magnus shook his head, stoking the anger within himself so that it wouldn't give way to the hurt he was really feeling. He'd grown up knowing he could never love a man in public, that it would always be something to hide, but now that the world was changing he could be open about who he was and no one would make him hide it. He was just hurt that Alec would ask him to.

The warlock gripped the hot anger inside him and used it to say the words it hurt to say.

"If you don't want me there than I don't want you here. I think we should spend a little time apart until you can decide whether or not your reputation is worth our relationship."

Alec looked so heartbroken that Magnus almost immediately took the words back. Of course, he didn't want Alexander to leave, but he couldn't let the clave take what they had away, and force Alec into the shell that he'd hidden in for so long. So, he stood his ground, keeping his eyes away from the Nephilim's face in order to stay strong.

Alec's voice was shocked and quiet.

"Magnus, please."

"I'm serious Alec, get out." He couldn't hold any malice in his tone but the words did their job, and Alec left.

The apartment was quiet and Magnus felt empty.

Alec lingered outside for a long time, unable to leave but still unwilling to compromise. He knew that Magnus was strong enough to ignore the Clave and any other asshole that insulted him, but Alec wasn't. He couldn't stand to see anyone say a bad word against the man that he loved so much, and he knew that if he went to that meeting with him, he would lose his temper and end up punching one of his bosses.

So, he stayed, pacing outside the building, and trying to find the right words to explain.

He didn't stay just because of that either; this was their first fight as a couple and since Alec had never been in a relationship before, he wasn't sure how it worked. How long was he supposed to give Magnus space? Was he supposed to wait until Magnus came to him, or was he supposed to apologize first? What if this turned into a break like on that stupid television show about the friends that jumped in the fountains.

He thought maybe he should call Izzy but she wasn't exactly the relationship type and neither was Jace.

He stayed for almost an hour before deciding to go home. He could call Magnus tomorrow perhaps, or see him after the meeting. He was only a block away from the institute when a noise came from a nearby alley. Of course, it could have been a cat or some harmless mundane but in Alec's line of work, it was never something harmless.

He drew his seraph blade and approached carefully, steps silent on the concrete beneath him.

He made it a couple of steps forward before a head emerged from the shadows, with a snarling smile to match the curled horns sprouting from its forehead. It was a warlock, and he did not look friendly.

"Hello shadowhunter. I know who you are."

Alec pointed his blade to the man's throat, hoping he wasn't just some creepy friend of Magnus' because he doubted attacking an old friend would be good for their current argument.

"Do you? Well, then would you mind telling me who you are? Just so we're even."

The warlock moved closer and Alec took a careful step back, watching the man's hands in case he tried anything.

"Oh, you won't know me even by name. But I know who you are Nephilim and Magnus Bane really shouldn't leave his pet wandering around unguarded."

Right, probably not a friend then. Alec narrowed his eyes at the insult.

"What's your problem with us?"

The man's lip curled in disgust. "What kind of self-respecting warlock sides with the angels? He's a traitor."

Alec's chest burned with anger. This was exactly what he'd been worried would happen if he and Magnus went to the Clave meeting together. He couldn't stop himself, he lunged forward with his blade, only to be thrown backwards with the flick of the warlock's hand.

He slid against the concrete, head smacking a wall as it stopped his momentum, and his vision was briefly filled with spots. The warlock walked towards him as he struggled to get to his feet.

"I'm going to hurt you, Nephilim. And I'm going to make sure you keep hurting."

Alec's thoughts were slow and it took a lot of focus just to get to his feet. He'd hit his head hard and was sure of a concussion. But the warlock was chanting something as his hands glowed in front of him. The glow of magic came closer, and although Alec clumsily swung his blade, he was soon wrapped in the glow and heat of it.

It didn't burn like the sight of it may have suggested, but it instead had a strange draining feeling, as if all his energy and power was being sucked away. He wasn't sure what was happening until his seraph blade dimmed and his temporary runes began to fade.

The warlock smiled at the look of horror on Alec's face. "Yes, young one, I'm taking your angelic power. Don't worry, it isn't permanent, it'll just allow me to hurt you a lot more. Maybe it will teach you and Magnus to stay away from each other. You're weak and not worthy of a prince of hell."

The magic receded and Alec dropped to the ground, feeling weak without his strength and stamina runes. His seraph blade wouldn't work now, and he could only shakily get to his feet to try and fight in hand to hand combat. But, of course, a good right hook just isn't much good when you're facing a warlock.

He was thrown to the ground again, making his head pound further, before a sigh came from the man standing above him.

"You angels are all the same. Entitled brats, that think they're better than everyone else. But you're not. You don't even have wings, what kind of angels are you?"

Alec's eyes were clenched shut against the light as it stabbed at his head, which made the snap of his leg a real surprise.

He screamed and writhed on the dusty concrete as the bone inside his left leg snapped in half, following the orders of the half demon as he laughed.

"You can't fly and now you can't walk either. What a pathetic little creature you are."

He bent down to smile in Alec's face as the Nephilim tried to breathe through his agony.

"Stay away from Magnus Bane, or maybe I'll pay him a visit too. I'll be watching."

The awful horned creature disappeared before Alec could say anything in reply, and he groaned in frustration. He hadn't even gotten the ass holes' name.

The shadowhunter panted as he prepared himself to move, he just needed his phone to call for help, he was already so close to the institute. After a few deep breaths, he pulled his phone from his pocket, only to curse at the cracked screen that greeted him. It wouldn't even turn on and Alec was getting more desperate by the minute.

Okay, so he'd have to walk. Totally not a big deal, he only had a broken leg and a mean concussion. But he was a shadowhunter, he was trained for these sorts of situations.

First thing to do would be runes, for healing and strength so that he could get back to the institute. He pulled out his stele, relieved to find it intact, and went to draw a rune on his arm, only to be met with blinding, burning pain.

Now, using a stele always burns a little, but Alec had been using it for years and barely even felt it anymore. But this was different, this wasn't the sting and surge of power that he usually felt, no this was just pain.

He tore the stele away from his arm, and looked down at his now ruined skin. It hadn't been burning a rune into him, sinking to black like usual, it was simply burning him. He couldn't use any runes.

Today was going from bad to worse and Alec started to panic a little. He couldn't call for help, and he couldn't use runes, and pretty soon, his glamour would melt away and some mundanes would find him. He needed to get to the institute and he needed to get there soon.

But by the angel, he did not want to move, let alone get up and walk. If he could just draw an iratz, or maybe try to strengthen his angelic power rune. He gingerly brought the stele to his skin once more, unable to stop the scream that tore from him. His vision was spotted with black after just a few seconds, and after tearing the stele away once more, all he saw was burns. Fuck.

He took a moment to just breathe, waiting until his vision was mostly clear again, before attempting to sit up. Even that was difficult, and left him more than a little nauseous, but he couldn't wait much longer.

Alec grit his teeth and focussed on breathing as he slowly, carefully got to his feet…Foot.

It hurt just to place his broken foot on the ground but if he wanted to stop hurting he'd have to get home. And try not to pass out on the way there.

Taking a moment to pray to every angel he knew the name of, Alec sucked in a breath before beginning to walk. He almost screamed again from the pain of the first step and knew it would only get worse as he went on, but he couldn't just lay on the street until someone found him. Even Jace wouldn't be able to feel his pain with his Parabatai rune so weak.

Alec wouldn't like to admit that he cried during his walk home, but with his broken leg and fight with Magnus, he thought he was a little entitled to some tears. And maybe some whimpering.

When he finally caught sight of the institute, he was filled with dread rather than relief because the usually bright stained glass windows, looked dirty and grey. The stone was broken in places and vines grew over the entire abandoned building. It was glamoured from him! He wouldn't be able to get in.

A sob fell from his mouth as he limped towards the cold stone steps, watching the police tape flutter in the light wind.

"No, no, no. This can't be happening."

He was growing dizzier as he came up the steps, as his pain and panic reached a crescendo. His hands shook as he pulled out his stele once more, only to find that the door would not accept his rune, barely even burning the wood as his strength waned. He threw his stele down in frustration and leant heavily against the door, unable to hold himself up anymore.

He tried to say the words he'd been taught, the plea to the angels to allow him to enter, the pledge and duty of a shadowhunter. But his tongue was heavy and his words slurred in his mouth. Finally, with no other options, he simply banged his fists against the doors instead, hoping someone inside would hear him and come to help.

"Please, I can't… Jace, Izzy."

He banged as hard as he could but he could hear no answer and the sight of the ruined church did not change. His words turned into gasps and pained whimpers, and he had nothing left. Alec slumped against the door, slipping to the ground, and succumbing to the darkness as the pain washed over him, turning everything to black.