This is my first fanfic, so any constructive feedback or advice is appreciated! Happy reading!
** Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. **
"If they think they're getting away with it, they're sorely mistaken," Clary muttered, tossing cans of bright violet spray paint into a backpack. "How dare they come onto our campus and deface our classrooms? There wasn't even a big game coming up - it's unacceptable."
"Are you sure about this vendetta, Clary?" Simon asked, pausing his search for working batteries to address his roommate. "I mean, there are at least 34 guys on the soccer team who are capable of doing way more damage than we could ever dream of, and that's not even including all of the hangers-on that are bound to accompany them."
"That rationale worked in the past, but this time it's personal. My mom's art room was one of the classrooms that got destroyed by the Institute's last raid, remember? They deserve a little payback from the art department. Besides, since I'm coming, this time the spray paint will look good, and it's going to be more lasting than their usual obnoxious stickers and posters and rearranging furniture."
"Yeah, it'll take them two days to clean up instead of one, how spectacular," Simon muttered.
"What happened to my cheerfully optimistic best friend?" Clary demanded, tucking her bright red hair beneath a black skullcap. "He would support my decisions."
"He disappears when he's tired. He also supports not getting kicked out of college over something stupid," Simon replied, finally finding batteries for their flashlights and following Clary out of their apartment and down to the waiting cars.
"They've been doing raids for years, and they're all still enrolled," Clary pointed out. "If it was even slightly dangerous, not as many people would do it."
"Good to see you made the right decision, Biscuit," Magnus grinned as Clary climbed into his car, his usually flamboyant makeup restricted to dark blue and black. "This prank is going to be ten times more epic now."
"I didn't know you were coming, Magnus - I thought we were riding with Raphael," Clary said.
"Raphael is coming, he's just in a different car at the moment finalizing things with Bat," Magnus replied. "He badgered me into being his getaway driver this time. Apparently, the other guys on the soccer team don't realize that half of escaping effectively is driving normally and they get pulled over, which ruins the entire surprise."
"So they do get caught every time. That certainly won't be a problem," Simon muttered.
"I have no intentions of getting caught, so you're in safe hands," Magnus waved the concern away.
"If anything, the number of times they've gotten caught and never received consequences is just further reassurance that there's nothing to worry about," Raphael interrupted, slipping into the passenger seat. "Besides, Magnus is the only levelheaded driver in all of New York. There's no chance we'll be pulled over, especially with the others to divert attention from us. Just relax. It'll be a fun Saturday night."
"You know, most people consider a fun night to be a party, or going to see a movie with friends," Simon said. "I don't know who thinks to themselves, 'Hey! Know what would be fun? Running over to our rival college and destroying their property.'"
"They started it. They even posted pictures on their social media pages in the middle of the night to prove it."
"They could have just happened to wander into the area shortly after the incident went down. They're innocent until proven guilty, right?"
"My mom said they got caught on the security cameras. The only reason it's not plastered all over NYU is because the Institute wanted to take care of things privately, whatever that means," Clary said. "But Sebastian Verlac peed in my Mom's potted plant. This means revenge."
"I can't say it's uncharacteristic of Sebastian, but I didn't realize art teachers were so hated," Raphael mused.
"You know, that's kind of gross, Biscuit," Magnus said, wrinkling his nose.
"Then you understand why I'm coming this time, after sitting out through an entire year of raids," Clary said.
"I suppose that's a better reason than most have," Magnus acknowledged.
The Institute was dark when the caravan arrived. They parked in front of the Institute's cathedral, the most famous building in the entire college. The one that would generate the most attention from media sources and outrage from the student body.
"Are you sure this isn't a trap?" Simon asked nervously. "I mean, they did just attack our school. They probably have people camping out here just waiting for a counterattack."
"They pulled their prank last week just before we all left for fall break, so whatever precautions the students took have undoubtedly fallen to the wayside," Raphael replied. "And the school won't do anything, because that would mean admitting their students did something wrong. Relax - we've done this a hundred times. Nobody comes until it's too late."
"Simon, do you need to stay in the car with Magnus?" Clary offered.
"No, I'm not afraid. Anything you can do I'm going to at least attempt, Fray." Simon plastered a fake grin on his face as they followed the soccer players into the cathedral.
"Freshmen and Sophomores in the back corners," Bat Velasquez, the captain of the soccer team, ordered as people filtered through the double doors. "Juniors and Seniors get the front, as usual. We'll be comparing corners at the end, so make your grade level proud. But remember - no leaving your name on anything, and no bragging about your own handiwork after the fact."
A muted cheer rose among the group as they spread out around the cathedral. "Isn't this church old enough to be considered a priceless artifact?" Simon wondered aloud. "I wonder what my mom would think if she could see us now."
"You're Jewish, not Catholic, Si. I think she'd forgive you after a little bit of good-natured scolding," Clary reminded him, shaking up a can of violet spray paint. "Now hold the light steady for me. I want this to be the best spray-painted torch they've ever seen."
When Clary was halfway through spray painting her second torch, the cathedral's chandeliers flared to life. The fluorescent lights seemed out of place in the gothic building, all the more jarring because they were under strict instructions not to turn on any overhead lights. Flashlights only.
"I can't believe that my students would stoop to this level of debauchery," the President of NYU exclaimed, her shrill voice echoing through the cathedral and making many of the soccer players flinch. "When I got a call that my students were attempting to deface Institute's cathedral, I told them it couldn't possibly be true. It's a shame that I've been proven wrong."
"Is this the part where we run?" Simon whispered.
"I think that ship has sailed, my friend," Clary replied, glancing over at upperclassmen who were reluctantly putting down their weapons of destruction. They had barely made a dent in the cathedral, with only a few rolls of toilet paper hanging from the rafters, some half-hung posters, and some rushed spray-painted not-quite-torches lining the walls.
"And don't worry about your friends outside - they're not getting away any more easily than you are," the president continued. "Provide us with your names and student IDs on the way out, please. I've spoken with Headmaster Aldertree, and he agrees that this feud is getting out of hand.
"He's proposed a solution that I'm quite taken with and I expect will be quite beneficial to both of our schools. We'll provide you all with more details later on - just know that the alternative to accepting this compromise is expulsion, effective immediately."
Simon groaned. "I should have just trusted my instincts and made you stay home with me."
"Hey, at least we'll have a great story to tell your kids someday," Clary replied sheepishly.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯*¯\_(ツ)_/¯*¯\_(ツ)_/¯
"I can't imagine a single good thing that comes with a personality test. Not a single one," Jace complained, glowering at his computer in disdain. "I mean, favorite diner? How could that possibly be relevant to anything even remotely useful? What happened to our mandatory community service on NYU's campus?"
"We've all taken the quiz, Jace. You don't need to remind us of the questions," Alec said absently, flipping through the pages of one of his business textbooks. "And weren't you just complaining about the community service yesterday? I would have thought you'd appreciate the change."
"That was before I realized how suspicious it would look," Jace muttered. "I mean, I know our prank was spectacular, but I've never known Headmaster Aldertree to change his mind once it's been made up. And I can't imagine he's managed to think up something more nauseating than doing community service for our rivals."
That morning the majority of the Institute's soccer and cheerleading team involved in last week's prank had been sent a survey, with the only explanation being: 'This will be replacing the mandatory community service. Ensure your Saturday mornings remain free. More details will follow as necessary.'
"I think it could be fun," Isabelle announced, sauntering into the room and snagging an apple. "More fun than picking up trash, anyways."
"Everything is more fun than picking up trash. Studying, for instance," Alec said, gesturing at the tower of textbooks strewn across the dining room table.
"We haven't had class for nearly a week, Alec. At least give me two weeks to fall behind before you start telling me to study."
"It's never too early to start getting ahead. Besides, you should be glad I'm already on top of things. Otherwise neither of you would know about the survey. You should try being prepared sometime."
"But we want you to feel needed, Alec," Isabelle replied, batting her long lashes at him.
"Exactly. And now I think that I need you to join me on a trip to Taki's," Jace said, shutting his computer and tossing it to the other side of the couch. "What better way to celebrate a Sunday afternoon than with a trip to my favorite diner?"
"Just to Taki's?" Alec asked suspiciously. "Because I distinctly recall this same excuse being used last week when I was tricked into getting in trouble for a raid on NYU that I didn't know was happening, and wanted no part of anyway."
"C'mon Alec, I already apologized for that one. And is it that hard to believe that I just need a break? I've worked too hard for a Sunday already. Even you can't deny that this much effort deserves a trip to Taki's."
"You think everything deserves a trip to Taki's," Alec replied as he was closing his textbooks. "And for the record, you never actually said sorry."
"And I'm always right when it comes to trips to Taki's," Jace replied, ignoring Alec's last statement as he led the way out of the apartment the Lightwood siblings shared.
Fifteen minutes later, the Lightwoods stopped in front of a tall grey brick building. Alec crossed his arms and glowered at his brother. "This is not Taki's."
"Acute observation, Alec," Jace said, holding the door open for his siblings to enter the Institute's administrative building. "Don't worry, this is just a brief detour along the way. If they don't want to tell us anything through email, maybe we can convince them to let something slip in person."
"Why does this sound like a bad idea?" Alec groaned.
"Because you're a killjoy," Jace replied, flashing a brilliant smile at the secretary. A few minutes later he had convinced her to let them into Headmaster Aldertree's office for an impromptu appointment.
"Buck up, Alec. This is going to be great. Besides, you can't honestly tell me that you aren't even a little bit curious about how you're being sentenced to waste your Saturdays for the rest of the semester," Jace said on the way down the hall to the headmaster's office.
"I've made it a habit not to wake up before two on the weekends, and I'd like to know why I have to change my schedule," Isabelle added.
"You could have gone on your own, you know," Alec said. "As I recall, we had this same discussion after the last time you said we were going to Taki's and ended up somewhere else."
"We were going to go to Taki's," Jace replied, pausing outside of Headmaster Aldertree's office to straighten his collar. "Just afterwards. It's not my fault you threw a tantrum and wanted to go straight back to the apartment after we got caught. Now smile. We all know you're Aldertree's favorite."
"I don't know why you keep believing Jace when he says we're going to Taki's," Isabelle added before following Jace into the office.
"I just want to have decent coffee for once. And Jace only goes when Kaelie's working and she always brews fresh coffee when he shows up. Besides, someone needs to keep the two of them from doing something they'll regret," Alec muttered to himself.
Headmaster Aldertree didn't look up when they entered, his attention focused on the documents before him. He made the Lightwoods wait a full three minutes before he finally acknowledged them, "Ah, all three of the Lightwoods. To what do I owe this visit?"
"We know you're a busy man, so we'll just cut straight to business," Jace replied. "We'd like to know what the sudden change in plans regarding the raid on NYU is all about. What happened to the community service? What do personality tests have to do with anything?"
"I believe you were provided with all the information your instructor wanted you to have; I'm not entirely certain what more you want me to tell you," Headmaster Aldertree replied.
"I think that this lack of transparency is unacceptable," Isabelle interjected. "How are we supposed to mentally prepare to do our best on Saturday if we don't know what to prepare for? How will we dress? Where are we supposed to go? What if someone has an obnoxious reaction because they didn't have time to come to terms with what was going to happen?"
"I have faith in your acting skills, Isabelle," the headmaster replied unwaveringly. "And I expect you to help me rebuild my faith in your ability to follow the rules that have been set."
"And if we refuse to show up to a mysterious location on Saturday?" Jace demanded. "I hate surprises, and I'm certain our parents would support our decision."
"We've already run our decision past your parents, and they've accepted the deal on your behalf," Headmaster Aldertree replied. "In fact, they asked me to let them know if any of you continued to misbehave, because they wanted to ensure the Lightwood reputation was not tarnished by childish lapses in judgement.
"But if you really want to know the alternative, it still stands as permanent expulsion. The expectation is that you will comply with what is asked of you by the instructors, or we will also have no choice but to remove you and Isabelle from your spots on the soccer and cheerleading teams, and potentially your place at the Institute altogether."
Two of the Lightwood siblings gasped in horror. "You can't do that - we've been training so hard, and I'm the captain this year," Izzy protested.
"And the big NCAA tournament starts next month," Jace added. "This is the first time in nearly a decade that we've qualified for division one! We'll lose if you bench me."
"Then I guess you'll both be on your best behavior, now won't you?" the Headmaster straightened the files on his desk, turning his attention to Alec. "Unless you had a legitimate question, Alexander, the three of you are dismissed. Any further concerns will be addressed by the instructors on Saturday."
Izzy huffed as she got to her feet, somehow managing to storm out of the room even with nine-inch heels on. Jace trailed after her, casting a withering glance back at the headmaster before rounding the corner.
"Thank you for your time, Headmaster Aldertree," Alec said before following his siblings out of the office. He nodded to the secretary as they passed.
"Are you happy now? You got no answers, the Headmaster is annoyed at you, and it's starting to rain," Alec said, squinting up at the dreary gray sky.
"You need to be more observant, Alec, because the headmaster practically told us exactly what we were doing. Instructors, remember? He's enrolled us in some kind of class, probably something anger management or communications-related. Better than community service, by any means, and we won't have to deal with spending an hour surrounded by kids from NYU every Saturday."
"So it's going to be a class instead of trash collection. How does knowing that help anything?" Alec asked.
"You never know when information will come in handy," Jace replied. "But if that's not enough for you, I'm sure you could convince Mom or Dad to tell you the real details, Alec. But I, for one, and starving, so let's go get some food."