Alright, so we're onto chapter 2 and I haven't been chased by mobs of angry TMI and TID fans…yet. In fact, you guys are really encouraging and a major shout out to Silver Carstairs (my first reviewer- woot woot!)
To Silver Carstairs (and the whole lot of you nosey eavesdroppers): Yes, it is my first FF and I haven't really done them before but thank you. Your review was extremely encouraging, especially since I love your Hunger Games crossover. Now onto the tough questions… 1) MALEC: I go with the break that happened at the end of CoLS but where there is a Will there is a way (no more hints teehee). 2) Do I ship Jessa? And does Will have feelings for Tessa? Well, I am not biased toward either though I will admit my fury (SPOILERS!) at the end of Clockwork Princess where everything fit just so. Screw Disney for giving the option of having the best of both worlds (excuse my French and my sadistic nature). But yes, Will has feelings for Tessa… things are going to get very interesting, I promise. 3) Am I Cassandra Claire? Ah, I can only dream.
To Angel Gidget: Thanks :) There will definitely be grief though they cannot shirk their duties and they will be brought into a whole lot of problems along with the TID group.
Recap on previous chapter's note: Set between CoLS and CoHF and after Clockwork Princess—all your beloved TID characters like Charlotte, Henry, Gideon and Sophie are dead (the price of defeating the clockwork creatures)… though they don't really seem very defeated if you ask me.
Thank you for your tremendous patience, excuse the long note and read on!
Please review! (I just love it)
….Still do not own the characters or most of the places, it's all Cassandra Claire's—besides the plot.
Chapter 2: NOTHING REALLY CHANGES
Clary peered at Simon over Jace's shoulder while the Bouncer looked them over. She laughed to herself as she watched Simon shift uncomfortably from one foot to another. Nothing really changes, she noted as she raked her eyes over him. Sure he had classier clothes and the whole vampire business had given his features an almost regal air but in the end she saw the same boy who had been roped into taking her to Pandemonium for her last birthday. And he was antsy. She cleared her throat, attracting his attention and tilted her head slightly in a question to which he shrugged and turned to talk to Izzy who was, of course, ignoring him studiously.
The rope was lifted and their morose group was ushered in, the music intensifying from the constant thrum felt outside to an encompassing and reverberating frenzy penetrating their souls. The five of them felt it in a way that was usually alien to them, or at least to four of them. They felt it jarring them, setting their teeth on edge, and clawing their bones as if the music itself was a demon they had come to hunt—its demanding presence confining them. Simon glanced at the four others who all bore grimaces on their faces and understood that they finally saw the place the way he did, even before he became a 'parasite'.
He hated the blaring music, the piercing lights, the frantic dancing, but most of all he hated the smell of the sweating bodies all writhing with pores reeking of alcohol and future regrets coupled with the bitter stench of vomit issuing from the far side of the room. And being a vampire amplified it. Someone passed out on the dance floor to be dragged off by three less than sober friends who staggered around clumsily even without the added weight and Simon groaned, shifting his attention back to the group of Shadowhunters he had come with—after all, Clary was one of them too, he concluded only half-heartedly suppressing his dejection at losing his closest friend. Because that's all she could have ever been to you, whispered a voice inside his head as his eyes were drawn to her slender hand encased in Jace's. He lifted his eyes off of her, wanting to kick himself for being so weak and eyed Isabelle sheepishly, guilt plaguing him for letting his mind stray to the very desires she had rejected him for having. Her words from earlier echoed in his head—Choose. The love you could have or the one you can only wish for. Her eyes wouldn't meet his.
"Don't look so sullen, Cullen," came Jace's voice as he snickered at how a Night's child could look so at odds with the night life. Simon frowned at him and glanced at Clary, who smiled back reassuringly, her hand still in Jace's. He snapped.
"I don't know why you think you're so hot, Jace. It's just the Angel Fire coursing through you."
"Ooh! Burn…"chuckled Alec, commending himself on his choice of words before reverting to his former melancholic self after noticing a flamboyantly dressed man in the distance. A painful reminder of what was lost to him.
"Looks like the Vampire's got bite today. Someone alert the fiction novelists—their retorts suck more than they do" replied Jace, his eyes alive with the fight.
"Enough," barked Isabelle, directing their attention to the four who Simon had seen stumble off the dance floor, "We have company."
The five of them eyed the four demons with varying emotions, all of them unwilling to admit that they were only doing this to distract themselves from the threat that Sebastian held, all needing some kind of victory to assure themselves that they may just live beyond a week. Then, each with a newfound sense of determination set off, taking on their respectful roles and following choreography they had all but perfected the previous night. They shadowed the demons to a dark corner of an adjoining room and all hell broke loose. Jace and Alec stepped out to the four demons, seraph blades glinting angrily, followed by Isabelle with her whip curled dangerously, Clary with grim determination painted on her face, and Simon with a toothy grimace on his. The demons shed their human form, nails turning to claws and hair shrivelling to flame as their faces elongated until they were scaly crimson monstrosities with poison dripping off their razor teeth. Three of them shuffled forward cackling manically at the meal laid before them.
Jace sprung forward to meet one in the air as the music coming from the other room shook the floor, his seraph blade flashed as it shot out only to be blocked by claws. Repeatedly, the claws deflected his blows as he lost ground, the irregular clatter of weapons clashing with the thumping of the music. And the demon continued to cackle as Jace's back met the wall, his slashes becoming more desperate and less fluid until the demon's toxic breath burned upon his skin and its laughter vibrated in his head in a way that would surely haunt his dreams.
"Weak child…You have no chance. There is no hope for you… History will always repeat itself," cackled the demon, as it blocked his blow once more as if brushing a leaf off itself—not giving it a second glance. And it smiled before spitting, "The ones you love will die too!"
Its claws reached out to his throat, intending to strangle it or break it he did not know. Nor did he want to. Grunting, he put all his remaining energy into a final and killing slash at its chest as black ichor spilled from the demon's wound and it crumpled in upon itself before vanishing completely.
"It's a good thing you only love yourself then," joked Isabelle, smiling weakly at him as the second demon fell between her and Alec. He returned her smile as he watched Clary and Simon put down the third between them and he scanned the room for the fourth demon to no avail. The four others, bloodied and battered joined the futile search. They had raked every inch of the room when the sound of glass shattering drew their attention. They rushed down the hall on their right, followed by the pounding music, and ended up in a room which was usually used for private functions. The grand hall was strewn with broken glass and the curtains were tattered to shreds, but that was not what drew Clary's attention. There, in the centre, lay a slender figure broken and silver, with a brunette girl kneeling close by, urging him to awaken, a blur of black and blue defended them from the fourth and final demon. The demon's breath misted over the boy as he fought it wildly away from the two on the floor.
"Don't expect to gain any affection with that breath," intoned the taunting voice of the boy, a British accent lilting his words which Clary made a mental note of. Still, it was clear the boy was losing as his graceful movements became stiff and he spent more time defending rather than attacking. A blade soared through the air, leaving Alec's hand, and plunged into the demon's back. It collapsed, fading away, its shrill cackle echoing against the walls, and the boy with dark hair let out a ragged breath. He looked up at the five of them and offered Alec a grateful smile before bowing smoothly. Clary and Jace exchanged looks of confusion as an articulate voice met them.
"William Herondale, at your service. May I introduce my companions, Theresa Gray and James Carstairs," he said with a pleasant smile drawn upon his face as he rose. Then his smile dropped and a dangerous look emerged in his eyes, "Who are you and why have you brought us here?"
Whew! So that was Chapter 2, review to tell me what you think. Even criticism's welcome
Hope you guys enjoyed that. I know it wasn't that good but I think next chapter will be better. Thank you for reading!
