Simon could feel his temples thrumming and every inch of his body felt like it was on fire and aching. It wanted to nothing more than to curl up and do nothing for the remaining hour he had before he was supposed to go with George to practice their archery. Simon had been pleased to find that for once he was better than his roommate at the art of archery, something he was glad for as he was horribly underwhelming at almost everything else.

The only thing that could drag him from his stupor upon his bed however was the growling rumble of his stomach as he thought about the odds of the food waiting for him being worth the effort it would take to get downstairs. He dragged his eyes over to where he could hear George groaning from his position, half off his bed upside down from where he had misjudged his drop and hadn't bothered to get up again. Until now at least, the Scottish teen was now dragging himself up off of his bed to shove his feet into his shoes once more.

" we should eat!" He groaned watching Simon pointedly. The message clear, ~don't make me brave the food alone!~

Debating his refusal Simon`s decision was made for him when his stomach twisted once more with a traitorous grumble. Sighing Simon pulled himself up from his bed and shuffled to his shoes. He had hoped that the less jarring steps would help his soreness but he had been wrong. Still he was up now and it would not make any difference if he lay back down or lay down later and the food would do him good.

Grumbling to himself as he shuffled through the door ignoring the slime covered the walls of the hall way along the corridor. He could hear George`s groaning as he forced his body to follow after Simons up the stairs from the basement in uncharacteristic silence otherwise. It was to be expected as the day`s training with Scarsbury had been a particularly vicious one. Simon didn`t even want to think about the fact that the demon gym teacher had forced him to go through the opstical course, not once but twice – Twice!

They had just reached the main level when the sounds of raised voices caught Simon`s attentions, glancing in the direction it was coming from only to blink at the mob of bodies that were now crowding towards the front hall. Glancing once at George, simon led his roommate towards the throng of the masses to get a look.

After all it wasn`t often that something got not only the dreg class in such an obvious tizzy but also the Elites. Simon whinced as he caught himself wondering if Izzabelle Lightwood had once again made her way to the Acadamy after her declaration of his relationship with her. And his subsequntial rejection and break up to said Lightwood.

Raising himself onto his tip toes he flinched as he was jostled as the crowd separated to let Dean Pennyhallow, Catrina and Scarsbury through to the front. Tracking them with his eyes Simon felt his breath hitch as he spotted a male barely standing in the doorway. Bloody and covered in iquir and clearly only standing because of the arm slung over another`s shoulders.

"ahhh Catarina Loss, good show! I had heard you were here! Bache Hellspawn sent use through and said you could do more good for him than he could manage. Please miss loss... ?"

Simon blinked at the heavy accent that came from the brown haired male, his lips spreading into a bright smile as his eyes met the blue warlocks as he stepped forward only to frown as he stumbled. Stumbling was not part of the shadow hunter description, the graceful bastards... however this particular, golden skinned, british accented son of the angels had had help. The help coming in the form of his companion cursing in a similar accent as he brought his free arm and shoved viciously at the other. Cursing him.

" i said i would bloody well heal on my own! You had no reason to bring me here! Return me home!"

"Sorry sir... you refused the silent brothers... Bache and ... you know... "his" help. We're limited in places we can take you you bloody idi't"

"curse you and your bloodline Wayborne!"

"thank the angel you are one of us and no warlock then mate!" the other, Wayborne had to be his family name, grinned as he turned and caught the other as he stumbled and lurched sideways.

It was only then that simon realized something he hadn't before, the injured male's right leg was a mass of blood, iquir and ...oh god was that bone? Why had no one used an Iratze on that?

"Karlyle AshShield!" Dean Penhallow gasped as she rushed forward herself to grab his other arm and drag it over her shoulders, her hand going into the folds of a pocket and immerging with her stele.

" touch me with that and i will end your bloodline!" the threat was cold and firm. Loud enough that everyone could hear it here in the sudden silence of the hall.

None of the students spoke, few were even breathing as they stared at the scene before them. There were many names that they all knew, of course among the most commonly spoken about were the ones Simon both knew and did not. Jace, Issabelle, Alec, Clary, and even himself. But there were a good number of others who had risen other places of the world that were not protected from Clary and the New York Institute.

Karlyle AsheShield, the current head of the London institute had stepped in during the war as the previous head had gone missing, later discovered that He had been forcefully turned. He and his parabatai had been one of a few in London who had actually engaged Sebastian and his men in battle...and he was here, broken and damaged doing one thing that Simon was sure had never happened in the halls of this academy or any Shadowhunter institute.

Karlyle was refusing healing. He was refusing the aid of the runes that would mend his body and heal his wounds. He had apparently refused warlock healing, which thought not unheard of as some shadowhunters wanted nothing to do with the healings of the half demons, was surprising in the state he was in.

"You choose not to be healed? Shadowhunter?...is it because i am a warlock?" Catrina's voice was clipped and her eyes were sharp as she studied him. They softened however as the blonde rose his eyes from the floor to meet hers.

"...I choose to receive no healing...I will heal on my own or i will not... that is how it will be!" He growled fiercely.

Despite the fierceness of his voice however there was a fragility to it as well, spoken more through the look that Simon could see in his eyes. He had seen someone once, though for the life of him he could not remember who it was, one who had lost everything and was lost. Hopeless and wanted nothing to do with life any longer... wanted to end this but would not give into the weakness of doing something that would cause his end. Karlyle wanted for death, which was why he was refusing help.

"Very well!" Catrina conceded as she nodded her head.

"Miss Loss! You cannot mean to leave him in this state? He is delirious!" Dean penhallow cried even as she began to move, Wayborne matching her pace to all but drag the blonde between them through the crowd that now broke apart.

"I never said that!... I will set his bones the best i can..in the mundane ways that i have come to know!" Catrina's voice trailed off as she followed them.

Turning to meet George's wide eyes Simon felt his own were almost bugging out of his head. Around him he could hear the whispers of the mundane and shadowhunters a like. Shocked gasps about the condition Karlyle had been in, his decision to refuse healing.

"Damned fool! I mean i get not wanting to see the Silent brothers. Gruesume bastards those... but an Iratze would be easy enough!"

Simon cringed as he heard Jon Cartwright's voice carry over the others and he could see the aforementioned shadowhunter among the usual group of shadowhunters' kids staring after them.

"that was Marquis Wayborne wasn't it?..." Beautrice sighed, in the way that simon had long since come to realize was saved for her "dreamy" celebrities.

Shaking his head Simon turned to detach himself from the throng, pulling at George's arm as he went, making his way to the abaondoned meal hall and pleased to find himself one of the few who had taken advantage of the distraction to get an early start on the food selection.

Not that it did much good, still the bisquits he managed to steal tonight were only half hard verses the ones that had been left at the bottom of the basket since that morning. Simon had just begun his trip to his usual table with George when the rest of the students filed in to get their own meals, the conversation still locked entirely on the scene they had all born witness to.

"it's wierd though isn't it?" George murmured, his heavy brogge softer than normal, his eyes narrowed as he was working at a peice of his own bisquit.

"Hmm?"Simon barely managed around his mouthful of food his eyes widening as he caught a flash of something crossing the other's face as George frowned, more thoughtful now.

" Him refusing to be healed!... I mean did you see the way his leg was? If that isn't healed properly...he could be crippled for life...what would happen to a hunter crippled like that?"

"He'd die in battle! Quick and simple, a demon would get the better of him and bam... one less angel decendant"

Simon would have been proud of himself for being able to manage to cringe and jump at the same time as Jon's words answered George before he could even think of it. If he hadn't been horrified at the implications and the mental image of someone being killed because of an injury.

Turning to glare up at the other Simon was surprised to see that he wasn't being flanked by his usual group and instead was standing with Julie, the two of them looking disinterested in the topic they had interrupted.

"You could say that with less enjoyment!" Simon clipped, his eyes narrowed up at the other's face as he shrugged his broad shoulders.

"It's how things are Lewis!... If he is going to be stupid and refuse to be healed, then he will be crippled. If that happens he has two options...to become a figure head of the institute and only ever see the inside of his institute where it is safe, sending his shadowhunters out on patrols instead... or to continue to fight himself and to die!"

The thought nagged at Simon long after the two had made their way off to sit down with the other Elites. A shadow hunter was a warrior, through and through. Even from the days that they were old enough to hold a weapon it was said that the shadowhunter's kids had trained, preparing for the day they would step into the battle and continue their parent's fights against demons. What would come of someone like that, someone who lived, breathed and dreampt about battle, who was no longer able to fight?

Was that why Karlyle had looked so hopless? Had his wounding been so bad that even with healing his leg would never work properly again? Had he known that he would become trapped in his world without the opportunity to do his duty to the world and save the world from evil? Something about that didn't seem to fit though and it left Simon wondering even as he and George made their way to the training ground.

Even as he focussed on the task at hand , that being to teach his roommate more control with the bow he thought about it. Flinching now and then as George seemed lost in his own thoughts as well.

"Oh for the love of... that was a tree! How'd you miss it that badly?" Simon gasped staring at where George's arrow had strayed.

"Sorry... wasn't paying attention!" George sent him a halfhearted grin as he sauntered off to retrieve his arrow.

"Yeah that's obvious!" Simon sighed, thinking about it for only a moment before sighing. " Look lets call it a night okay? We're going to have to be up early tomorrow anyway!" Simon wasn't sure if he should expect his roommate to take advantage of the out or if they would continue but when George's shoulders relaxed he knew that he had made the right call.

Even later that evening, after the usual conversations about mold or slime, of the newest Jon addition to their growing collection...Simon lay awake, his eyes tracing shapes in the dark murk that was the ceiling. Thinking about what had happened earlier. It had never occurred to him what would happen after he became a shadowhunter. The idea of becoming a hero, of becoming who he had once been had only been his focus. Now however he had to think about what could happen,

If he became a shadowhunter only to become wounded... to die...what would that do to those that he had waiting for him? To Clary? To Issabelle? Hell even to Jace and Alec. What would it be like to become one of them only to be unable to fight at their side because he had become injured and was no longer capable of fighting.

The previous night's interlude had been all but forgotten the next morning as the students began their usual morning routine. Breakfast, torture time with Scarsborough, and finally classes. The others had all come to talk about their usual complaints rather than the mysterious Institute leader healing somewhere in the institute.

Simon had even managed to forget about it himself by the end of dinner, that was until the same blonde from the night before, Marquis Wayborne, had made his way in following with Catrina towards where they could get their food. The blonde looked tired and his easy grin from the night before was no where to be seen. In fact he almost looked pale around the edges.

Simon would have given anything to hear what they were saying as they stood side by side in their own little world. When they broke apart however Simon Tracked Catrina with his eyes, her taking two trays with her out of the meal hall.

"Lewis right?"

Simon jumped with a yelp at the sudden voice and his eyes snapped towards it and widening as the blonde, Marquis, was now standing in front of him with his tray filled with questionable Japanese quisine. He had a brow arched and was staring down at Simon with a faint quirk of one lip that spoke volumes to the amusement in the other's eyes.

" Huh?" Simon answered intelligently only to cringe inwardly. He should be used to others knowing who he was by now but he knew that that would take more than a few weeks of being surrounded by people who knew about his deeds, and were disappointed with his lack of abilities, to get used to it.

Simon frowned as that damn quirk became an all out smirk as the blonde before him chuckled and waved his tray towards the spot across from simon and arched his brow. He was obviously asking for his permission to sit and Simon was surprised as to why he would want that. After all Jon Cartwright and the other Elites were lingering in the corners of Simon's perfeerals as if waiting to swoop in and save " an actual good shadow hunter" from making the mistake of sitting with Simon.

" uh..yeah. " Simon started, swallowing hard before nodding. "Sure! Go right ahead"

In the usual, self assured way that Simon knew every shadowhunter conducted themselves in, Marquis sat himself easily in the offered place and regarded his tray with a combination of curiousity and horror.

"so... I am sure i don't need to say it...but I know sashimi... I would not recommend eating that" Simon blinked up at the blonde who was pocking at something that looked like a grey something toothpicked in place on a small ball of rice. The look on his face actually made Simon laugh faintly as the other rose horrified hazel eyes up to meet simon's.

" I'm not even kidding! My ...partner...would hunt down the person who cooked this and stab them in the face if he ever saw this!" Marquis stressed, shaking his head as if lamenting the opportunity to see that.

Simon caught the way the other said "partner" and he had to wonder about the slight leap of happiness that sparked in the blonde's eyes as he talked about this other person's violent streak towards their cooks.

"yeah!...I would say that about most things...i mean... the soup is safe... I haven't gotten sick from eating it..."simon stopped and then amended that statement. " well not from the soup itself... there was an instance when something additional had accidentally been added afterwards that made a few of us ill but yeah."

The tension left Simon then as the shadowhunter across from himself threw his head back and laughed, a hearty, happy laugh that lit up his whole face.

"So your partner? He knows his sashimi huh?" George asked from where he was grinning around his own mouthful of food.

"Ahh... my apologies mate! Marquis Wayborne" The blonde held his hand across the table for George with a friendly tilt of his head that Simon was surprised to see directed towards someone sitting at the "dreg" section.

Simon couldn't help but grin as he watched George hastily wipe his free hand and take the offered handshake. For a moment the tension that passed between them was palapable as both squeezed down on the other before easing their grips with a grin.

" George Lovelace!...and yes i am proud of my Surname!" George began his usual speech about his last name before trailing off at the almost blinding smile that passed over the other's face.".."

"Ahhhh good name! Lovelace's are good people... very good people!...owe my life to a lovelace!" Marquis nodded his head as if to his own words before looking between the two of them.

"Question"

"Answer!" Simon couldn't help himself, and was surprised at how easy he could talk to this strange, unknown shadow hunter who was probably a few years his senior. The flash of a grin that spread over Marquis's face at that only strengthening his ease.

"so...What is the hero of the dark war...and a lovelace doing sitting here?" Marquis asked glancing around his eyesbrow raising as he caught sight of Jon who was openly staring at them. " I mean why aren't you sitting with ... hmmm is that a Cartwright?" when Simon blinked in surprise and nodded he continued. " thought so...they're...distinct..."

"Well I'm a mundage...so I belong in the Mundane courses!" Simon felt the usual defensiveness rising to the surface despite the easy way the other had asked his question. The usual attitude towards mundane that all shadow hunters seemed ingrained with grating on Simon.

Marquis rose a brow at the sudden tone and rose his hands defensively, as if to placate him. A shadowhunter, who could easily break –scrawny, girl gear wearing Simon-fail at everything he'd tried-Lewis - was trying to placate Simon?

"Woh there mate! Sorry i obviously pushed a button there!...I had no intentions of insulting you or your class! I recognise that you are in fact mundane born however i know that you have knowledge of our world and the work we do...you've lived it...I thought they would have given you some... exceptions!"

Simon blinked back the blinding rage and regarded Marquis again from a calmer stand point. He could see the other's confusion and obvious regret at the subject. " ...They did!...I chose to switch. I chose to learn with my own because i didn't like "theirs""

That damn eyebrow met Marquis' hair line again and his head cocked to the side that Simon could almost say was rather..."jacelike"...that self assured, cocky self control that truly skilled and tested shadowhunters just possessed in spades. The look on the other's face put him at ease once more though. There was nothing in the way of condescension in that gaze. In fact he looked almost...awed.

"you chose it?...that's some ...knackers!" Marquis grinned shaking his head as he chuckled.

Simon blinked for a moment trying to figure out what he meant. What the hell was that? Still the gist of the statement was that simon had done something impressive and so he allowed himself to smirk at him a little. Nodding his head even as he shrugged.

"I guess so!"

" And you Lovelace?" Marquis' kind gaze extended to the other as he turned his eyes towards him.

George on the other hand seemed far more uncomfortable than Simon had seen him in a while. His eyes down cast to the table and his food abandoned. He frowned a little before glancing up at him and shrugging his shoulders.

"Adopted..."

Simon had to give Marquis credit as he blinked and then blinked again staring at George and giving an almost perfect fish impression. Finally he tilted his head once more and then nodded his head with a shrug of his shoulders simultaneously acknowledging the admittance and dismissing it.

"So?..."

This left both Simon and his roommate gaping at the british Shadowhunter. Never before in coming here had Simon ever heard one of the elites or even the teachers and special guests they had managed to bring in for lectures disregard blood. Blood was everything to the ancient, demon slaying race.

"...My partner was raised by a family that wasn't his own... It takes good people to take a kid in that wasn't their own and to raise them in their family. I stand by my statement. Lovelace's are good people! And you should be proud to be one of them mate!"

Simon could once again hear that gentleness when you he other spoke about his partner and he was once again left wondering something. Did he speak of a parabatai? Is Simon could remember the way that Alec once described his bond with Jace, during a stressful time when they did not know it the blonde was alive or even where he was. Or perhaps Marquis was speaking of something entirely.

His opportunity to study the other ended abruptly as Catrina reappeared in the doorway to the meal hall her eyes scanning and locking on Marquise.

"Ah that must mean the blooming arse is awake! Sorry chaps, I will catch up with you at a later time" Marquis promised and Simon actually believed that he meant it.

With that the blonde rose from his seat and sweat out of the hall in a graceful stride that Simon could only describe as similar to a great cat stains it's prey. Leaving George and Simon to stare after him like many of the others.

"He's an odd one huh?" George asked, despite the faint flush that Simon could still see on his cheeks and the dorky, pleased grin that had not left his lips since the Brit had praised him and his family despite finding out that he wasn't a Lovelace by blood.

"Yeah he certainly is!"