Road to Redemption
The door to the room burst open and the hinges came loose, sending the door swinging out of control. Chloe, pressed against the wall on the far side of the room, covered her face with her arms and sank to the floor. She reached desperately for her powers, hoping they might protect her for just once. They didn't, of course, and a group of faceless figures poured into the room.
Chloe looked on horrified as they began kicking things over wordlessly. She watched the figures through her arms, and tried not to cry out for help. They were dressed in grey: grey pants, grey shirts, grey shoes, even their skin seemed to be grey. They were wearing masks that covered their faces, and only small eye holes gave any indication that they were people at all.
When they finished destroying the room, they turned on her. Chloe threw up her hands in an attempt to curse, and one of the figures moved forward and brought his hand down hard on her arm. The arm broke with a crack, but Chloe didn't feel it, she was so scared. Her eyes darted desperately to the door, to look for help.
"Derek!" she cried, falling back against the wall. "Derek!"
"He's not coming now," said a soft voice that Chloe did recognize. "We've taken care of the puppy." Chloe's head darted back and forth, looking for the man who was speaking. "But that sort of thing happens when a dog bites the hand that feeds it. Derek was too dangerous for his own good. Just like you."
"What did you do to him?" Chloe demanded, stilling trying to find the doctor in the faceless crowd pushing in on her. "Where is he?"
"He's gone, just like the rest of your freak friends." A person moved forward and Chloe flung out her good arm. She landed a good bow on the man's face. "Insolent little brat!" snarled the man.
Through his mask, Chloe could see a pair of cold grey eyes. They were devoid of emotion, even after the furious outburst, and when they turned on her, they simply hardened more. "None of your kind should even be alive," he breathed. "It's disgusting how you live. You're all cowards and animals."
"Liar!" hissed Chloe, moving forward again. "And who are you, hiding behind that mask?"
"Be carefully, little girl," said the man, and he reached behind his back for something sharp.
"You are a coward!" Chloe cried, and looked around one last time for help. She heard muffled shouting for the first time, and saw shadows moving beyond the bedroom door. "I'm here!" she screamed. "I'm in the room."
The man looked back, and for the first time, seemed agitated. "The boy," he breathed. "Should have dealt with him myself."
"Help me-"
"No one's coming to help you, Chloe," snarled the man, turning back on her fast and finally drawing the weapon from behind his back. It was a sword, a long deadly sword. "It's too late for help. I'm going to finish this."
Chloe was staring hard at the door, wondering who was coming, and why the man was so mad. If it wasn't Derek, and it was a boy, who was it? Who could fight like that? Chloe tried to move just a little, to see who her might-have-been hero was, but the man brought the sword to a point at her throat. It quivered there, ready to draw her blood and end everything. Chloe wouldn't take her eyes away from the door, not if she was going to die this way.
"Look at me, Chloe," ordered the man. "Look at me Chloe. Chloe. Chloe…
"Chloe!"
With a painful start, Chloe sat up in bed, twisting the blankets in her hands. She looked about frantically and found herself face to face with Derek. His wide green eyes took in her terrified face and shaking body, and he very gently laid his hands on her shoulders. Chloe was still glancing around madly when Derek pulled her into his arms and tucked her against his chest.
"Chloe, it was just a dream. Please, calm down." Derek smoothed Chloe's hair, humming softly in his throat. It was enough to stop her from looking around, but not enough to calm the shaking. "Chloe, it's okay."
Chloe leaned against Derek's side, trying to breathe and push the image of the man with the sword out of her mind. It was hard. All she could remember was his grey eyes, and how hard and cold they were when they landed on her. She never wanted to see those eyes again.
"It wasn't a dream, Derek," she said simply, shivering against him. Derek was very warm, Chloe decided, like his temperature increased just because he was a werewolf. "He said you were dead."
Derek blinked once. "Well, I'm not dead, am I? I'm sitting here with you, and you're safe, and whoever he is, he won't get to you." Derek stroked the hair off Chloe's face and he smiled down at her. "Everything is okay."
Chloe closed her eyes slowly and breathed in deeply. She concentrated on the feeling of Derek's hands on her, the gentle, warm pressure that was pushing down on her, and the feeling of protection that emanated off him. He was a werewolf, that's all she could think, he was protective werewolf. The dream still kept flashing before her eyes, but the longer she clung to Derek, the more it seemed to break apart.
"I thought you were dead, Derek," she said finally. "It was horrible. He kept saying we were all going to die."
"It was dream," he said firmly again.
"But it seemed so real," pressed Chloe. "Like it was a memory."
"Well," said Derek simply, "have you seen the man before?"
"No." Chloe shook her head, considering. "But he mentioned a boy, a boy he said he should have taken care of. And I thought it was you, but it wasn't, and I couldn't see anything, and…"Chloe trailed off, lost in the nightmare. "I don't know, Derek. I just don't want to see it again."
"You won't, Chloe, I promise," Derek vowed softly, and then he bent his head and kissed her very firmly on the lips. It was like he was trying to push the nightmare away, and, for Chloe, it was working. She felt the lingering images of the nightmare fading away, and she curled her hands up into his hair and pulled Derek closer to her.
They were tangled together for a while, and when Chloe pulled away from Derek, the sun had painted the morning sky a flaming red. She smiled a little to herself, thinking about her chances of getting any work done today with the combination of the nightmare and Derek's kissing. She stretched a little, still in the circle of Derek's arms, and then hopped out of the bed. Derek watched her from the bed and admired the view he was subject to. It wasn't bad.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Derek asked as Chloe shimmied a pair of jeans under her enormous shirt she wore to bed. "You know, I always hope you take that shirt off before you get dressed."
"Fat chance," Chloe called over her shoulder when she turned to put a shirt on. "I think we have some lessons to go to. I'm supposed to work with Magnus anyway, and we're supposed to hear from that werewolf guy Clary and Jace know. So, training, I guess."
Derek yawned. "That's all we ever do, isn't it? We've been here for a two weeks and all we do is train. It's not like we're at war now, is it?"
Chloe turned to look at him with a stern face. "We promised we'd try to help, and anyway, if this Valentine guy really is planning a war, we've got to be ready to fight. He's not like the people at the Edison Group. They wanted us alive to study, he just wants us dead."
Derek's eyes narrowed and he slipped out of the bed, then crossed the room and drew Chloe back into his arms. "He won't touch you, Chloe."
"I just want to be prepared," she hedged. "I mean, Jace and Clary train all the time."
Derek titled his head a little at that. "They're shadowhunters, it's their job to train and fight."
"They're just like us," breathed Chloe. "They were with us at the Edison Group, and they're just like family."
"Okay, they are, but it's just hard to think of you fighting. I don't like it." Derek growled low in his throat and then kissed the top of Chloe's head. "I bet you anything Jace is already up and out there."
"I wouldn't take that bet if you paid me," answered Chloe, heading for the window.
"That would defeat the purpose of a bet," muttered Derek, and then joined her at the window. They looked out, spotted Jace, and Derek rolled his eyes. "He's such a showoff."
Jace was alone in the yard, spinning blades in his hands so quickly they were just blurs of silver. Every now and then, one would shoot out of his hand and lodge itself in a tree. He'd jump, turn, and roll every which way, as if it were an art, and he an artist. And he did it all with such ferocious grace that Derek was reminded of a lion.
"Break time." A voice floated over the grass through the early morning fog and made Jace fall out of jump. He landed awkwardly, but held his ground.
"Clary," he smiled.
Clary was yawning as she came across the grass carrying a plate with breakfast and a glass of orange juice. She watched Jace stretch and then prowl toward her, ignoring the food and watching her. She smiled under his scrutiny and when he was level with her, she rose on her toes, and kissed him.
"Good morning," she said.
"You too," he murmured, and, plucking a muffin from the plate, bit it, keeping his eyes on her. "Good breakfast."
Clary had the grace to blush. "You're training too much, you're going to hurt yourself."
"I've been out of shape for a while, Clary," he said tiredly, "and from what I hear, we've got some big problems ahead of us."
"If you mean Valentine-"
"I mean this blond kid too," cut in Jace. "He doesn't sound too pleasant, and someone's going to have to deal with him."
Clary wanted to tell Jace it wasn't his job, but she knew it was. It was Jace's job, and her job, and the Lightwoods, and anyone who was a part of this war. And who else was better equipped to deal with this kid, really? From what Isabelle and Alec had said, he was exceptionally well trained, so who could fight him? Jace was the best there was.
"We'll work together to deal with him," said Clary softly. "You and me, and Derek and Chloe and Simon and Rae and Tori. He isn't your responsibility, Jace."
Jace finished the muffin he was eating quickly, and then placed both his hands on her shoulders and looked at her with a small, sad smile. "I don't want them hurt, Clary. They really do have no idea what they're doing, and it's not their job to fight this war-"
"Oh, but it's yours?" Clary cut in a little angrily.
"Yes, actually, as I'm a shadowhunter."
"You're seventeen!" Clary cried, frustrated. "How can it be your job?"
"Because it is," said Jace flatly, and he leaned down and kissed Clary so hungrily that she dropped her plate of breakfast. He pressed her against him, forming her body to his, and held onto her, trying to memorize the small contours of her body. He had a flash of memory, of the Edison Group, and the last night they were there. He remembered Clary's determined look that night, and it reminded him that whatever was going to happen, she was going to trust him.
"There are children present, you know," said a very silky voice from behind Clary.
Jace released Clary, though he really didn't want to, and looked up at Isabelle. "I didn't know you still considered yourself a child, and that does raise questions about your relationships if you consider kissing a matter best dealt with behind closed doors."
"I meant Max," Isabelle snapped, frowning.
To Clary's immense embarrassment, Max peeped out from behind Isabelle and gave her a quick look before turning his eyes on Jace. "Will you teach me how to do that, Jace?"
Jace's smile quirked up a little. "I think you're a little young to learn about this," he said, nodding at Clary. "This is what adults do when they like each other, Max, and you're still too-"
"I meant the knives!" Max said quickly.
"He knows what you meant," Clary ground out, and slipped out of Jace's arms. "And I bet he'd love to teach you how to do that."
Max's eyes widened. "Really? Jace, will you show me? Please."
Jace sighed, and glanced quickly at Isabelle to see how she felt. Isabelle shrugged delicately and Jace straightened up. "Sure, Max. Go get the knives and I'll show you. It's only right for a shadowhunter to know how to fight."
"I'll borrow Clary for a few minutes, okay?" Isabelle called over to Jace, who nodded reluctantly. Isabelle gave an imperious wave to Clary, who left with Isabelle. Once they were beyond earshot of Jace, Isabelle turned to Clary and gave her a scrutinizing look. "You and I need to talk, girl."
"About what?" Clary asked quickly, feeling nervous.
"About what happened at the Edison Group," Isabelle said simply. "No one's been talking about it, and I think there's some stuff that we need to hear."
Clary bit her lip. "Jace doesn't like talking about it."
"That's why I'm not talking to Jace." Isabelle glanced at Clary's wide eyes and pressed lips and knew this was hard for her. "I know you feel like you're betraying Jace and everyone else, but we need to know what happened. If the doctors did anything else to you, we need to know. Magnus is worried enough as it is…"
"What is Magnus worried about?" Clary wondered.
"What you are."
Clary, who had been staring at her feet, felt her head shoot up. "We're the same as we've always been, Isabelle. There's nothing wrong with us."
"Well, we never knew exactly what you were to begin with. I mean, I've never seen a person like Jace. The way he fights…and you, with your runes…and even that Chloe girl."
"Jace is your brother," Clary hissed.
"I know that," replied Isabelle coldly. "But if he has powers that are beyond my knowledge, we need to find someone who can help him. Powers unchecked are dangerous."
Clary wanted to be mad at Isabelle, but she knew the girl was right. She had seen Jace act out of rage that day in the attic, and it had been scary. She had seen Chloe summon dead things just by screaming, and destroy demons with her bare hands. Whatever they were, it wasn't normal, and they needed to understand it before they could go on.
"What do you want to know?" Clary finally said.
Isabelle's eyes took on a strange look, part hopeful part terrified. "We just need to know what happened at the Edison Group, what you know about…well, about yourselves."
Clary's gaze drifted over to Jace, who was showing Max how to hold the knife properly. "Can we go inside?"
Isabelle nodded and they slipped through the doors and into the kitchen of Magnus's house. Magnus was in there, pouring himself a glass of what looked like apple juice. When he saw them come in, he raised his eyebrows and looked around quickly. None of the other children were present, so he purposefully strode over to the door, called for Alec, and then leaned against the counter.
"So, I hear you've got a quite a story for us," he said with slight smile.
Clary watched as Alec came in, carrying none other than her art book, his face dropped a little, and then he joined Magnus at the counter. Isabelle made a small noise in the back of her throat and jogged Clary's mind. She sighed to herself and then shrugged. "If you have my book, than you must have been at Lyle House, and I suppose you conducted a thorough search of the place?" Alec and Isabelle nodded and Clary gave a weak smile. "You must have been in the attic? You saw those cages-"
"Clary, whatever they did to you-"
"This has everything to do with that, because that's where it all really started. Enright took me up there to punish Jace, and he followed, of course. She locked me in a cage and told Jace he had to get in a cage too. He was angry, furious; he was screaming and cursing and he looked like he was half crazy. I mean, he looked like a lion, but a real lion. His hair was all on end and his eyes were locked on Enright like a lion before it kills. Even I was worried."
"The picture," Magnus breathed. "The picture of Jace in the room, you meant that to represent his change?"
Clary nodded sadly. "Yes. Enright told us that we were dangerous. That the changes they had worked in us had made us dangerous to society, and they were doing the only responsible thing by locking us all up. I wanted to think she was lying, but after seeing Jace's face I couldn't. He only ever gets like that when I'm in danger, but still, the fact that it happens worries me.
"These powers are uncontrollable. They're dangerous and explosive, and we can't control them unless we're somewhere we know is safe. That's why they had us in the nursery, they said it should have a calming effect on us, and it did. When we were there, we didn't have angry outbursts, we could control ourselves, we were better. But then they took us off the drugs, and things went crazy.
"We fought all the time, the boys especially. Derek and Jace were pretty bad, and Simon was always somewhere in the middle. And I guess, me and Tori and Chloe were just as bad. Those drugs were the only thing keeping us together, and now that we're off the drugs, I'm not sure how this is going to work."
"Jace seems to be okay," hedged Alec, seeing Magnus's narrowed eyes.
"I think having something to do, a way to channel his anger, is helping. At the Edison Group, they were trying to force us to exercise regularly. I think now that Jace can go back to demon hunting, he should be fine," she added quickly.
Alec nodded in agreement, but Magnus seemed disappointed. "So he is dangerous," he said evenly.
"No, don't you understand? As long as we've got a way of channeling-"
"Yes, I heard that, but what if you don't? What if one day you're in danger and Jace decides to take matters into his own hands? And what about the rest? Derek's a mad werewolf, Simon's a wild warlock, and you saw what Chloe did. These powers aren't safe."
"Well, what do you want us to do?" snapped Clary. "This is who we are, and there's no amount of magic that's going to change us. We just need to learn how to control it, and you telling us we're crazy animals isn't helping!" Clary had lost her temper now and was shaking angrily. "So what's your solution? Do you want to lock us up too? Because that's the only way to keep us safe I guess."
"That's not what I meant!" snarled Magnus. "But we're going to have to look for a way to control your powers."
"Well how about you just stick me and Jace and Derek and Chloe and Simon in the basement? That way, we'll be out of the way and mankind will be safe from us. Is that what you want?"
"Just stop it, Clary!" Magnus slammed his hand down on the counter. "You need to accept that you have darkness in you, and you need to remember that from now on."
"Like I could forget it!" Clary was stalking back and forth. "I was trapped there like some animal, and they experimented on us, and they tried to make us sleep together, it was horrible, and it was all because I have these powers, so just remember that!"
"Clary, Magnus stop!" It was Isabelle, and she standing between them now, and her eyes were frantic. "Please, both of you, it's not helping. I know this is hard, and I know you're both very tense about the whole thing, but we're not getting anywhere with this. Let's try and think this out rationally."
"There is no rational thought where we're concerned," sneered Clary. "Magnus said as much. You might as well do as the Edison Group said and lock us up. It's safest."
