I do not own anything Mortal Instruments related. That belongs to Cassandra Clare.
Yes, I changed some things that wouldn't have worked otherwise. Sorry.
It had been seven years since the ten year old Jonathan Morgenstern showed up in Magnus' front garden. It had been only a little less time since he had adopted the name Jace Bane. It had been Magnus' suggestion, considering most shadowhunters knew Valentine's son's name was Jonathan. They'd even started calling him Jace around the apartment so he was used to it. Now it was more of a nickname.
He'd been given one of the spare rooms in the apartment, and had made it his own, with drawers full of his own clothes, and a few weapons sitting on top of the set of drawers. On the bedside table sat his father's kindjal.
He sat up, yawning as he started the day. He'd stayed out late last night, hunting down a demon he'd heard of at a downworler haunt. Magnus didn't care how late he was out, as long as he didn't wake up the warlock by bleeding to death in the middle of the lounge room, which had happened on more than one occasion.
He made his way into the bathroom, locking the door behind him so Magnus didn't disturb him. The warlock had a tendency of walking into the bathroom without checking if it was occupied. And if Magnus got to the bathroom before Jace, he'd stay in there for the next 3 hours.
Jace quickly showered and got dressed, turning to put the towel in the basket for dirty clothes. He caught sight of himself in the mirror. Or more, he caught sight of his hair. It was streaked and tipped with every colour of the rainbow. He knew immediately who had done it.
He quickly left the bathroom and found Magnus in the kitchen. It was rare he'd actually cook, usually just snapping in stuff from somewhere. But he actually had a pan and a bottle of pancake mix out, with two steaming cups of coffee sitting on the counter.
Magnus turned as Jace walked into the kitchen to join him. "How did you sleep," he asked.
"I appreciate the colours, Magnus," Jace said sarcastically, tugging on a bright blue strand.
"I'm glad you like it," he replied, ignoring the sarcasm.
"Now, how do I get rid of it?"
"Not without magic, and only I know the spell to reverse it, considering I made the spell. And I'm thinking of leaving you suffer for a few weeks." Magnus grinned when Jace's jaw dropped. Several weeks looking like a walking rainbow?
"You wouldn't," Jace said.
"Oh, you know I would." Magnus turned back to the pan, sliding some well-cooked pancakes onto a plate. "You want a pancake?"
"I want to get rid of this stupid colour."
"It suits you. And it's not stupid," Magnus said indignantly.
"Just because you like looking like it, doesn't mean I do. Come on, Magnus."
"No. You'll live for a few weeks," Magnus replied firmly. Jace sighed. He never won arguments with the warlock, no matter how much he tried.
"Fine. I'm going out." Before Magnus could reply, Jace was gone, into his room and grabbing a dagger and changing into gear. He could spend the whole day hunting and Magnus couldn't stop him.
He'd walked for a few hours, encountering not a single demon. He'd just taken to strolling around the city. The clubs were already busy with mundane teenagers, ready to dance and party.
He noticed a blue haired boy in the line-up for a club, Pandemonium, which Jace knew to be a hot spot for demons and downworlders. The boy was obviously a demon, and was cleverly fooling the mundane bouncer to let him in. Jace would have been quite fine to keep walking if he hadn't spotted a familiar face in the line up behind the demon.
He slipped into line behind Clary. Only she would be silly enough to decide to go to Pandemonium of all places. It was notorious for demons and downworlders to go to in an attempt to seduce silly mundane girls. He sighed but didn't say anything to Clary or her little Mundane friend, Simon or something like that, from what she'd told Jace before Magnus had gotten to her a couple of years ago.
As the demon boy got in, the line moved forward. He watched silently as Simon teased Clary jokingly, something about the boy being cute. Jace didn't dare draw any attention to himself. The Mundane wouldn't be able to see him.
Soon, Clary and Simon were in, followed by Jace. Dry ice smoke drifted around the club, flickers of people appearing and disappearing in the clouds. Lights shone down in every colour of the rainbow, turning the clouds into flickering sparks of blues, acid greens, hot pinks and vibrant yellows.
No matter how closely he tried to follow her, Jace soon lost Clary to the crowd. Instead, he resolved to watch the demon boy. It seemed to be looking for someone. Probably a little mundane girl. Or boy. Most demons weren't too picky.
Suddenly, the demon perked up, seeming to find the person it was after. Jace followed its gaze. It was girl, tall, with ink black hair and charcoaled eyes. There was something about her, about the way she watched the demon, that wasn't mundane. The demon clearly didn't know that. It started advancing on her and she grinned.
Curious about the girl, Jace followed the demon. The girl indicated to a No Admittance door. The demon followed her in. Jace didn't notice a shadow on his heels as he slipped in after them. He slipped into the shadows nearby. It was then he saw the black haired boy slip in. The demon didn't seem to notice either of the boys, seeming entirely focused on the girl.
"What's your name," the demon asked the girl.
"Isabelle." She turned and smiled at him in the dim light in the room.
"That's a nice name." It stepped closer to Isabelle. "I haven't seen you here before."
"You're asking if I come here often?" he giggled. Jace saw the sleeve slip and instantly recognized the swirling lines on her wrist. So the girl was a shadowhunter. The demon seemed to realize this a moment too late.
"You-" The demon didn't get a chance to finish. With lightning swiftness, Isabelle shot out a hand, striking a blow to its chest that would have winded it if it had been a normal human. It went staggering backwards and, in a second, Isabelle had a coiling, gold coloured whip; electrum wire. She swung it and it tangled around the demon's feet, sending it writhing to the ground. Demons hated electrum.
The black haired boy stepped out of the shadows, hauling the demon up and pinning it to a pillar. Its hands were pulled behind it and bound by wire. The boy stepped back. "Are there any more of you?"
"Any other what," asked the demon, clearly deciding to play dumb.
"Don't even try it, demon," hissed Isabelle.
"So," interrupted the boy," you still haven't told me if there are any more of your kind with you."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"He means other demons," pointed out Isabelle. "You do know what a demon is."
The demon didn't reply for a moment. "I could give you information. I know where Valentine is." Valentine? His father was dead. The demon had to be lying. His father's body was dragged away by his murderers. Valentine Morgenstern was dead. The demon said it with so much conviction, but they were trained liars. Right?
"By the Angel, every time we catch one of you bastards, you claim to know where Valentine is. He's dead," hissed Isabelle. "Kill it, Alec. It's just messing with us."
"Valentine is back. All the Infernal Worlds know it, and your world will too," the demon insisted. The shadowhunters ignored the demon as Alec advanced on the demon, drawing what was easily recognized as a seraph blade.
"Stop!" Clary stepped out from behind the pillar. "You can't do this."
Alec POV
Alec turned to stare at the girl. A mundane, by the looks of her. Who could see them. He had heard of the rare Mundie who had the Sight, but they were old tales, right? The Clave would want to hear about this. It suddenly got a hell of a lot weirder. A boy stepped out of the shadows, staring at the girl. The dark lines of rues disappeared into his sleeves and swirled around his throat. His hair was streaked with what seemed every colour of the rainbow.
"Alec?" Isabelle snapped her fingers at him. He realized he'd been staring. He shot his sister an apologetic smile. He looked between the girl and the boy.
"Who are you," he said, turning to the boy first. They could deal with a little Mundie later.
"Jace Bane," the boy replied calmly, though there was something in the way he said it. Alec couldn't place it.
"Bane?" It was Isabelle. "As in Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, Bane?" Jace just nodded.
"What are you doing sharing a High Warlock's name," asked Alec curiously. Jace Bne seemed to be becoming very interesting indeed.
Jace shrugged. "It doesn't matter." Suddenly, the demon gave an unearthly screech and tore free of the restraints that bound it to the pillar and launched at Jace. It tore at him with claw tipped fingers. Alec, with his seraph blade already prepared, plunged it into the monster's spine. It shrieked and rolled off of him, with a hiss.
The demon collapsed and returned to whatever hellish dimension it had crawled out of. When Alec looked at him, Jace already had a stele out and was nearly finished an iratze rune. Alec felt the urge to help him, but didn't know how, or why. He'd only just met the guy. The girl had disappeared from sight.
"So, Jace Bane," said Isabelle, "We need to talk."
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