For The Love of Bane

Disclaimer - Please note I do not own these delightful characters. I just love them beyond reason and started thinking up my own little scenarios for them. I would very much appreciate reviews (constructive sure, nice definately, bashing is not helpful so don't.)

Part 1:

Valentine peered down at the commotion going on below from his perch on a higher balcony. Commotion seemed to be all it really was, not a war. He'd summoned a fair amount of demons to test the local waters, see how quickly, and how many the Shadow Hunters would number to protect the city. To do their job. Demons were their purpose - destroying them. Valentine was a Shadow Hunter, and as such hated demons as much as his counter-comrades did. He felt the urge to stand with them and cut the horde down one by one, but that wouldn't serve his purpose now. His primary purpose. While his stomach turned ever so slightly at the idea of being associated with the scum, he needed their moronic numbers. He'd dismiss them as the garbage that they truly were later on, when he no longer needed them.

Along the railings beside him perched a few flighted demons. He had a more immediate use for them. They were not so large as many of the others below, resembling at best small pterodactyls. Their leathery wings were 3 times longer than their bodies, the primary wing bones uncommonly heavy for creatures of flight but for good reason. These 'birds' were able to lift other creatures up to 10 times their own weight. With large clawed feet they were able to grab their prey tightly and rise with them with the strong flap of their wings. They held poison in the few large tail feathers they had, brightly coloured indicating the danger within. With a quick flick as they swooped down, the feathers could be launched to stun the prey - first the pain of being comparably impaled by an arrow, and then the quick acting poison that numbed them temporarily, reducing resistance.

Valentine's gaze seemed focused on a particular Warlock. Normally he wasn't concerned with DownWorlders, considering them lesser beings. Why else would ShadowHunters be the ones who kept DownWorlders in line, settled their disputes? It was a fair opinion, if a bit bigoted. DownWorlders had their own unique abilities, specifically this warlock. At over 800 years old, Magnus Bane was powerful. He had seen more of the history of this world than Valentine himself had seen. He knew what was going on everywhere in the world, at any time, and yet somehow wasn't involved in any of it. Of all the warlocks present at this battle, and there were a few, he was casting the strongest magic that allowed the ShadowHunters to get as close as they were to Valentine. But, he seemed distracted. Valentine tried to find the source of it.

There were so many in the battle that at first it was hard, and he looked from the warlock's strained, cat-like eyes in the direction he kept returning to. His lips continued to move as he chanted his counter-spells, but his eyes would go from the wards and protection Valentine had placed around himself to something else off to his right. He searched the crowd, saw his demon army falling, and saw glowing seraph blades piercing them through bellies and faces, slicing appendages and spilling black blood.

It was one smaller battle that helped him find what he was looking for. A ShadowHunter, whom Valentine vaguely recognized, stood against a spidery demon. He slashed a larger glowing sword towards the beast, always seeming a second too late. His attacks seemed easily predictable to the demon. It always managed to dodge. It was, however, growing tired of the back and forth, and crouched a moment before launching itself at it's hunter. The young man ducked under the spider's body as it sailed over him, but did not evade the creature's sixth arm as it caught hold and pulled him towards the edge of the rooftop they were on. The beast had underestimated it's own momentum and flew right off the side. Valentine was able to pull his eyes from the fray long enough to see the moment of panic in Magnus' face as he saw the action too. Somehow, with the rise of the warlock's hand, the ShadowHunter stayed on the rooftop, as if he'd been held by an invisible net, while the spider's grip failed, ripping through his armour and leaving a gash down the length of his arm.

Valentine smiled a cat-like smile. 'So, Magnus' he said to himself 'you have a paramour'.

With that, a plan began to form in his mind. As this battle was merely instigated as a test, he had little care whether he won or not. As long as he escaped unharmed. He had hoped his son Jace, or even his daughter Clary, would have shown themselves to him now. Regardless of their intentions, he didn't fear them. He'd taught and trained Jace himself, he knew his son was a very capable warrior and had not yet lost faith in having him by his side in the near future. At present, they were at odds though. He couldn't see his father's vision clearly enough. Valentine told himself to have patience, it would happen.

Clary on the other hand, was more her mother's daughter. He didn't know her well, but did know of the hidden power she had within her. He had planted it there. This made her a bit of a wild card. While he didn't fear her outright, he also didn't have near as much faith in her abilities. She needed training, and unless he could get through to her, he feared her strengths would stay buried and be wasted.

As he looked at the warlock, he thought about the possibilities. Magnus could do things that Valentine could not. He had experience, perhaps knowledge, that Valentine craved. He had magic as well. As the seconds passed, he became more and more sure that the warlock would be of use to him. If he co-operated of course, which Valentine knew he would be reluctant to do. He gazed back towards the shadow hunter, who had moved on to another demon. Magnus' gaze followed him protectively. Perhaps, thought Valentine, that was the key. Given the right motivation, men were able to do great things. He wasn't so worried about the clumsy hunter. In fact, he saw potential there as well. He could train him, use him. If the sentiment was returned, the hunter would likely do what he needed to in order to protect his warlock, wouldn't he?

Turning his head, he whispered his instructions to the demon-birds at his side. With loud squawks they took flight. Valentine felt the cold wind from their wings as they flapped before diving down to their targets. One stalked the sworded hunter, circling above him, out of his line of sight. The other headed towards the warlock who was just out of reach of the battle.

The fighting had become tedious to Valentine. He conceded that the Shadowhunters had stood stronger than he'd expected them to, and with a wave of his hand, the wards protecting his make-shift condominium castle dropped. He turned to the portal behind him, as if making sure it was still ready for his escape.

Looking back, he saw the warlock stumble, as if he'd been leaning on the wards with his magic, helping push it through. His momentary loss of balance was when the demon-bird struck. It squawked, and flicked it tail towards Magnus, launching three feathers towards him. His startled scream almost reached Valentine's ears. He was only struck by one of the poison darts, in the back, and was then hanging rather limply from the grasp of the bird. His six foot tall body, presumably numb, seemed a bit of a burden, but the bird flapped it's non-beating heart out and began rising back towards the balcony.

A peculiar smile lit Valentine's face as he looked to the young hunter. He'd seen the attack on his friend. The second demon bird descended on him, and distracted by the other pair, he didn't see the feathers. But he felt them. All three found a home in his back, and before he fell Valentine heard the cry from his mouth. 'Magnus! No!….'

Both demons returned with their prey, and landed them non-too gently at Valentine's feet. While their eyes were open, they did not move. The younger warrior had lost his sword. The warlock's hands, for the first time that day, didn't emit blue sparks. On closer inspection, Valentine recognized the hunter. He smile as he crouched down between them.

"Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. So glad you could join me.'

He had two other demons ready, both rippling with muscles and despite having no eyes and excessively large mouths full of sharp, dripping teeth that didn't seem capable of closing, their frames were something similar to human. They both had their instructions, each lifting their charge into their hulking arms, and carried them through the portal behind their master.

Once he left the field of battle, all the remaining demons seemed to spontaneously burst into flames, and then ashes, leaving the Shadow Hunters with nothing more to do than tend to their injured and try to figure out what the sudden ceasefire meant.

Part 2: coming soon! Thanks! SV xxoo