Hello readers! How was chapter 1? Much thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter. :)

Bookthief1317: Thank you!

SilverCarstairs (Guest): Ah, I see my Immortal Fandom Queen has reviewed this chapter! But... I wasn't sure if this would be Wessa or Jessa just yet... Also, how did you assume Wessa? And if it IS Wessa... would you like Jagnus? :O

The Perfectly Imperfect One: I love your username. It's beautiful. Oh, and here's the update! :)

Guest: No, there is no connection yet. But there will be. Patience!

TessaElsaHerondale: When you review Better Than Thyself, did I ever mention how much I LOVE YOUR NAME!? Seriously though. Best name ever. And yes, I shall read and review your fanfic! And thank you. :)

millisiana: Yay! I hope you keep liking it! :)

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot!

"Someone who thinks the world is always cheating him is right.

He is missing that wonderful feeling of trust in someone or something."

~Eric Hoffer

After Will had checked in on Jem, he went to search for Jace and Julian. He hadn't seen them, nor had he heard them.

It was odd, he thought, not hearing their obnoxious voices bouncing off the walls of the Institute.

Will unlocked his phone and dialed Jace's phone number. It rang once, twice, three times, four times... voicemail. Will frowned. Jace always answered his phone. Well, whenever Will called.

Will tried Julian's phone. He got the same result: a voicemail.

Frustrated, Will stopped Isabelle lightwood in the hallway. She studiously attempted to ignore him whenever he was around. Now, as she was walking toward him, he held his arm out.

"Isabelle, have you seen Jace and Julian?"

Isabelle shot him a dirty look. "I thought you were with them? You know, since you three left and abandoned the rest of us here."

Will rolled his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. I'm being serious. We came back here so I could check in on Jem and I haven't heard from them. Or rather, I haven't heard them."

Her black eyes widened fractionally. "I thought you all left earlier, not too long ago. Maybe thirty minutes ago? I saw Jace and Julian leave the Institute and I automatically assumed you went with them."

He shook his head. "I didn't. I'll go look for them now."

Isabelle nodded, and they went their separate ways.

Will, newly glamoured, broke through the doors of the Institute. Sunlight blinded him momentarily, and he blinked in the sudden brightness. The air still smelled dank of rain and dirt and silt: the scent of wet New York.

The young, black-haired Shadowhunter clambered down the steps of the Institute and started off down the street. Where could the two boys have gone that would prevent them from answering their phones?

Suddenly, a hand grabbed him from the back. Will cried out, startled. No one was supposed to be able to see him.

He spun, prepared to elbow his attacker, but the person was too quick for Will, considering he was caught off guard. The person caught Will's arms and pinned them to his sides. Will tried to fight it, fought against the attacker, but the person was stronger than he was.

"Let go of me!" Will snarled.

"Or what, little Shadowhunter?" a voice hissed in his air.

Will froze. The voices brought all of his senses to sharp clarity, his hairs standing on end. "What do you want with me?"

The man wrapped an arm around Will's neck, cutting off air flow. Will clawed at the arm as he gasped for air, but it was no use. His vision was already spotted with dark spots.

Before Will lost consciousness, the man whispered, "Soon you will see, William Herondale."

And the world went black.

One week later:

Tessa was retired from her writing for the evening. She had spent a majority of the day writing an article for this month's issue of Vogue. The article was supposed to be on "Finding Love in the Cities." Tessa, of course, had inwardly grimaced at the topic choice. She was not the girly, hopeless romantic people viewed her as.

Tessa wasn't one to argue on the opportunity to write an article for such a popular magazine, let alone any magazine at all. It was a miracle she had gotten it, considering her financial situation.

Now, she sat in the living room on her laptop, mindlessly roaming on the Internet. Clary and Emma were off in their rooms, doing who knows what.

Tessa's phone vibrated on the wooden coffee table. She picked it up, glancing at it wearily. The text she had received made her sit up so quickly her laptop would have crashed to the floor had she not numbly caught it.

Clary and Emma raced out of their rooms to the living room, where they all stood staring at each other with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

EMERGENCY CLAVE MEETING AT THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE. IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION ON THE THREE FOLLOWING YOUNG MEN, YOU MUST BRING IT FORWARD WHEN THE MEETING BEGINS.

Attached was a photo of three young men: one with gold hair and gold eyes, one with black hair and brilliant blue eyes, and one with dark brown hair and blue-green eyes.

Emma, Clary, and Tessa all sat beside each other in the pews of the New York Institute. Many Shadowhunters had arrived and were packed into the benches. As Tessa looked around, she realized it wasn't as many as she had assumed there was.

Regardless of how many were expected to come, Maryse Lightwood, with her long, black hair and strict blue eyes, stood at the alter, demanding for attention. The Shadowhunters quieted.

"As those inhabiting the New York Institute have noticed," Maryse spoke, her clear voice ringing loudly through the room, "three of our best Shadowhunters have gone missing. If any of you know anything of the whereabouts of William Herondale, Julian Blackthorn, and Jace Lightwood, I command you to step forward now."

Maryse's eyes flitted across the room. When no one stepped forward, she sighed, her shoulders dropping nearly imperceptibly. Sitting as close as they were to the alter, the girls saw this minuscule movement.

"Alright, seeing as there is no one who knows their whereabouts, I have been permitted by Consul Wayland to proceed with a search including as many volunteers as possible. It is urgent we find them. According to my own daughter, Isabelle Lightwood, she last saw Jace and Julian leaving the Institute together. Approximately half an hour later, she spoke with William Herondale, who went off to search for the other two. None of the boys have returned, and this is extremely unusual."

Tessa heard several Shadowhunters snicker. Tessa's lips curled back in disgust at their attitudes.

"May I also mention," Maryse said, her voice rising to be heard over the increasing volume of the people filling the Institute, "that, whoever should find these boys, will receive a reward."

This did not do much to capture the Shadowhunters' attention. They were all turned toward each other now, speaking to each other. None of what Tessa heard pertained to the issue at hand.

"Did you hear about Helen and Aline?" Someone asked.

"What about Alec and Magnus? I heard they were going through some rough patches." Another responded.

Despite the noise, Tessa, Emma, and Clary had perked up at the idea of receiving a reward. They all looked at each other with disbelief coloring their features. Their gazes shifted to Maryse, who was standing at the alter with her eyes closed and a hand pinching the bridge of her nose. A girl, presumably her daughter, for she was beautiful, with extremely long black hair and black eyes, was talking to her mother in soothing tones.

Without a word to each other, the three girls rose and walked toward Maryse. They caught a snippet of Isabelle's words to her mother.

"-worry, mother. I'm sure someone will offer to help-"

"Actually, we will," Clary interrupted.

Isabelle raised her head and saw Clary. Her eyes brightened. "Clary! I didn't know you came."

Clary smiled. "Of course we did. The text did, in fact, say it was an emergency.

Maryse was staring at them all now. "You girls think you can find them?"

They nodded.

Maryse tipped her head back and laughed. "Aren't you three the ones who came to me asking to lessen your duties so you could pay your bills? What makes you think you can find these three boys?"

"Mother!" Isabelle cried. "You asked for volunteers and this is what you're getting. I think you should accept this."

Maryse turned her blue eyes on her daughter thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right." She focused on the three girls again. "Fine. You start first thing tomorrow morning. I want you here at six o'clock in the morning to discuss anything and everything you know of these three boys and strategies on finding them. Come dressed in gear and prepared for the worst. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Emma said. The three girls thanked Maryse and turned away to leave when she stopped them.

"Should you find them, ladies, I will pay for your rent for three months."

Once the girls broke through the doors of the Institute, they chattered excitedly amongst themselves.

"Three months!" Emma squealed.

"Yes, but if we find them," Tessa pointed out.

"Which we will. I know we will," Clary said.

Tessa shot her an amused look. "Do we even know anything about them?"

"I do," Emma said. Upon seeing the looks on her friends' faces, she said, "When I was younger, like a child, really, I was best friends with Julian. Right before our parabatai ceremony was to take place, I ran away and came here. I was too afraid to do it because the Law forbids a relationship between parabatai."

Clary looked at her friend in surprise. "You guys were dating as children?"

Emma shook her head, stray pieces of blonde hair escaping the braid. "No, we were best friends as children, since we were both in the Los Angeles Institute. No, we decided to become parabatai when we were fourteen. I was in love with him, had been for years, but I had refused to admit it. I had learned, not too long after that, that it was against the Law for parabatai to have a relationship. Since that was what I wanted, I ran away. I couldn't face Julian."

Tessa groaned. "Well, I suppose that makes things somewhat easier on us. At least it'll help you to identify him."

"Maybe you'll see him again and he'll confess his love for you and then they'll come with us back here," Clary said hopefully.

Emma scoffed. "Doubtful. Something tells me that if they haven't been found yet, they won't be able to come that easily."

"Is there anything else you know?" Tessa asked, ignoring both of their comments.

Emma nodded. "I heard, a while back, that William Herondale, James Carstairs, and the Lightwoods from London-Gabriel, Gideon, and Tatiana-had to come here while other issues were sorted out at the London Institute with the Branwells."

"Aren't they all older than eighteen? Why would they be staying at the Institute if they were older than eighteen?" Tessa wondered.

"Shadowhunters can choose to stay in an Institute of they wish. I'm assuming they all chose to," Clary explained.

Tessa exhaled. "Okay. Is that all?"

"No. We should all know ahead of time that they are all panty droppers, so beware," Emma said, with a small smile playing about her lips.

Tessa and Clary flushed, having neither even kissed a boy. Emma seemed to realize she embarrassed her friends.

"I know what you're thinking. I don't have experience with guys either," she admitted quietly.

Jace, Julian, and Will stood atop a hill in Central Park, looking out over the still scenery before them. It was dark, nearly midnight, and a dead Shadowhunter lay slain at their feet.

Will wiped his bloody hands on his gear. "What exactly did we have to do that for?" he asked Valentine, who stood behind them.

His white hair gleamed a silver shade in the pale moonlight, his black eyes dark. "Because I asked you to. I thought you weren't supposed to ask questions."

Will frowned but said nothing more.

"Did you know this person?" Julian asked quietly, looking down at the Shadowhunter with its throat cut open.

Valentine's features first flashed with astonishment, then anger, then returned to being impassive. "Who? Hodge Starkweather? Yes, a very long time ago. But he betrayed me. He deserved to die."

Somewhere, deep inside each of the boys, they knew they had done something wrong. But something, something more powerful, forced it down, leaving them to feel only confusion and support toward their leader.

Hello! So what did you guys think! Let me know if you decide to review please :)

So.. yes. I know. Will was supposed to be a better Shadowhunter than that. Well, he is.

But. Element of surprise!

Mwuahaha! I bet you didn't see that coming.

Anyway. Sorry for my weirdness. R&R my fellow readers :)

Also, I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. It shall get longer! I promise.

Playlist (the songs actually don't pertain to the chapter, it's just what I was listening to):
1) Never Gonna Be Alone-Nickelback
2) Safe and Sound-Capital Cities
3) Trying Not To Love You-Nickelback

Okay! So there you go! Don't forget to R&R! See you next time! :)

Xoxo!

~Caitlyn