Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or The Infernal Devices

Warning: May contain spoilers for the Alvarez Empire arc of Fairy Tail.

Arriving in London was not the most pleasant experience Zeref had. The weather was dreary, with clouds covering the sky and leaving the city looking grey and lifeless. Rain was likely going to start falling soon, and Zeref knew that meant he would be getting wet. Regardless of the weather, however, the shadowhunter knew the city would suit his needs.

He was standing on the deck of a ship, just docking into port. His black hair was blowing around in the wind, often irritating his eyes as strands flew into them. He kept scowling at the horizon, leaning against the railing as he waited to get off and enter the city. It had been a while since he last moved, but it was a necessary part of his life. Zeref never stayed in one place for long.

He had few decent memories of growing up. His reasons for coming to the city were not easy for others to understand, and Zeref rarely shared anything with anyone. His quiet nature was one that went unnoticed. It allowed him to blend in with a crowd, something he had practiced for quite some time. As a child, he had learned to be obedient and silent. Despite having lost his parents at a young age, he still had one man in charge of raising him and his brother.

Thinking about him made Zeref's expression darken even further. He closed his eyes, sighing as he stood up straighter and moved to exit the ship. People didn't even glance his way as the young man moved passed them, dressed in black with the small hint of a white undershirt showing beneath his waistcoat. The few Marks on his skin were hidden beneath his clothes, with only small white scars visible from faded marks he had long ago.

Walking through the streets, Zeref wondered just where to go. He had not purchased land here, nor did he have the funds for lodging in town. Likely, he would find himself camping for some time, but it was something he was used to. Most shadowhunters would go to the Institute, but Zeref knew to avoid such places. They would not accept him, nor would they take the time to understand his situation.

Technically, he supposed he had left the Clave long ago. Zeref never interacted with other shadowhunters, and he did not call on them for help no matter how dangerous his life got. While it wasn't official, Zeref understood that it was not wise to contact them. Any contact could lead to encountering the Silent Brothers, and if he met them, they would discover his secret.

Zeref ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head as two elderly woman approached him. With white hair and a massive hat covering her head, one of them appeared to stand out amongst the crowd here. People still leaving the ship stepped aside to give her room as she stepped out from her carriage, approaching Zeref. By her side was a woman who had matching white hair, but what caught the shadowhunter's attention were their hands. Talons seemed to have taken the place of fingernails, sharp and marking these two as warlocks.

"Good evening, young man. I am Mrs. Dark, and this is my sister, Mrs. Black," the one with the hat stated, smiling over at Zeref.

The sister nodded, her smile just as disturbing as Mrs. Dark's was. "How do you do?" she inquired.

Eyeing them warily, Zeref replied. "I am quite well, despite this weather we seem to be having today. It isn't usual to see two woman wandering about the streets alone, just what brings you here to London?"

Mrs. Dark nodded, folding her hands in front of her as Mrs. Black stepped towards Zeref's side. They were circling around him, blocking his exits the best they could considering the situation. "We are running some errands for our master. You see, he is quite an influential man in London, and he sent us to retrieve something of interest here at the port," Mrs. Dark explained.

His instincts were screaming at him to flee, but a quick glance around told him there was no chance of doing so. Mundanes surrounded this port, now crowding to enter the ship for its next journey. To his back was the boat and the crowd. Water was not a decent method of escape, considering the chill in the air. Freezing to death would not be pleasant. To his left and front were the sisters, but to his right was the crowd of mundanes. Rushing through them would bring more attention to himself, and it would slow his progress. A carriage could catch him easily amongst them, with the horses being much faster than himself.

Glancing back towards the sisters, Zeref sighed and let his chin fall to his chest. "I see. I take it you wish for me to come quietly?"

"That's such a smart boy, don't you think sister?" Mrs. Black commented, smiling towards the other warlock.

Mrs. Dark nodded in agreement, holding her elbow out for Zeref to take. "Of course. You will not regret this, shadowhunter. With us by your side, you will rise to be the second-hand man to the most powerful person in all of London."

Zeref did not reply. With his hand gently on Mrs. Dark's arm, he walked towards the carriage. The two sisters climbed inside first, watching as Zeref followed after them. He took the seat across from them, letting his gaze focus on the window by his side. Rain began to fall, pelting the window and leaving water smeared across the surface. Zeref idly watched the water slide down the window, as more spots appeared from the continual rainfall.

"Rumor has it that you've been a naughty shadowhunter, young man." Mrs. Dark stated gleefully, her hands folded in her lap as the carriage moved along. Her sister reached over, however, pulling the shades closed on the window and leaving Zeref cut off from the outside world.

Mrs. Black continued on when Zeref did not respond. "We'll keep your secret. In fact, we rather like naughty shadowhunters. They are our favorite little toys."

Zeref's eyebrows twitched slightly, coming closer together as he remained motionless. Despite the closed window, he kept his gaze focused on that spot of the carriage. He refused to even acknowledge their presence, not when he had no intention of aiding them in the end. "You would do well to respond to us, boy. My sister and I hold the key to you resting in comfort, or living in agonizing torture for however long the Magister holds an interest in you." Mrs. Dark stated darkly when Zeref continued to remain silent.

This time, Zeref did reply, though his gaze did not move. "Comfort or pain, it matters little to me. In the end, your desires are not my own, and I shall not aid you or your master."

"Insolent boy, I shall have you whipped for that!" Mrs. Dark shouted, raising her arm to slap Zeref. Her sister grabbed her wrist, shaking her head slightly as an amused smile crossed her face.

"Enough, Sister. It wouldn't do us any good to have him unconscious before we arrived. In time, he will tell us what we want to know. Patience is the key here. Soon, he will know far more pain than he ever thought possible," Mrs. Black stated, appeasing her sister for now.

A dark chuckle echoed around them. Zeref's eyes were closed, but there was a humorless smile on his face. "Is that so? I'd like to see you try, warlocks. I cannot count the number of people who have tried to get me to aid them. In the end, you will perish just as they have. My help does not come easily, and if it does not suit my own interests, I never lend anyone my power."

The Dark Sisters stared at him with wide eyes, leaning back in their seats. A small amount of sweat beaded on Mrs. Black's forehead as she turned towards her sister. Mrs. Dark's fingers began to drum across her leg, her gaze focused on Zeref as both of their smiles vanished. For just a brief moment, neither of them doubted Zeref's words. If they did not come up with a way to make this worth his while, Zeref would never reveal his knowledge to them.

Zeref's smile remained on his face as the ride continued. This time, his silence went uninterrupted. He leaned his head against the wall of the carriage, pleased with the peacefulness he found within. He would enjoy this as long as he could, because the shadowhunter knew it would not last. Torture would begin as soon as they arrived at their destination, but it would not last for long. Even Zeref did not know how long he could keep his power under control, and once his control slipped, the Dark Sisters would vanish without a trace, just like every other captor he had known.

I started this idea, inspired by my own one-shot in this fandom. Once again, it isn't my main focus at the moment and I've lost a lot of my inspiration for many of these stories...so if you give me an idea that makes me want to keep going, you will receive credit! There is also a poll on my profile so you can vote on which story I focus on trying to finish first (though I don't promise to finish any of them, as I have not thought of a conclusion to the majority of the stories I've just created). Reviews will help inspire me to keep working on these stories! Please tell me what you think!