A/N: So sorry it took forever to update, I am in the middle of completing my half yearly exams. This chapter is a lot longer though, so I hope you accept that as an apology
ESTEL POV (Manhattan Institute, United States of America)
Out of the strange blue glowing door, a young woman appeared. Long black hair framed her face in stunning contrast with her pale skin. I couldn't help but notice that Isabelle was right; she did look a lot like Elladan and Elrohir. But she had Legolas' eyes; those icy blue eyes that glare daggers and send shivers down your spine.
She was extremely petite, this woman, having not been blessed with our height. Her features made her look like a porcelain doll, but I could tell she was a warrior just from the way she stood. She had the same stance as the elven warriors, the ones that patrol the cities and slay the spiders of Mirkwood. She was confident, strong and ready to fight, wearing full black, like the other shadow hunters in the room. Her black leather jacket and skintight pants framed her curvy figure. There was a sword attached to her belt, and I could see the hilts of various knifes hidden in her jacket and hanging next to her sword. She was clearly not someone to mess with.
But before she could speak, Jace drew his sword and leapt forward, pinning her to the ground with the edge of his blade at her neck.
"Would you look at that? Two weeks without training and you're becoming slow, my dear sister," he said, smirking.
I had to admit that I was extremely surprised when she flipped him over, so her sword was suddenly pressed into Jace's neck. I took a step back. This tiny fifteen-year-old girl had just taken down a full grown man, one that you could see was nothing but muscle.
"Or not, I see. I take that back," finished Jace.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," she replied.
She stood up and held her hand out to Jace, who took it and lifted himself off the wooden floor. After having hugged the other three shadowhunters in the room, her blue eyes fell upon us.
"Since when do we house elves and mundanes?"
"We are offering our hospitality, Lynn, so be nice," Alec reprimanded.
"I'm just asking, don't get your panties in a twist." He simply glared at her, and she threw a cheeky smile back.
"My name is Evelynn," she said, "but just call me Lynn"
She swirled around and started heading for the door, when, suddenly, she stumbled. Luckily, Alec caught her before she hit the floor. Her faced seemed to have drained of colour and her eyes became dilated. Lynn tried to stand up but Alec cradled her against his chest and wouldn't let her move.
"Are you ok?" Isabelle questioned, the worry thick in her voice.
"I'm fine. I think my energy rune just stopped. You know how they are. You're fine one second and then the next you feel like you're going to collapse. It's like when you drink coffee all night and then stop. You suddenly feel exhausted."
"Go get some sleep Lynn," Jace advised.
"I would, but I'm being kept prisoner." Her eyes shot daggers at Alec until her carefully let her out of his arms. She shakily stood up and walked out of the room, slowly, taking hesitant steps.
EVELYNN POV (Manhattan Institute, US, Earth)
I'm not going to lie; I was somewhat confused as to why I was back. I had been sent by the Clave to hunt demons in the desert. We had been so focused on the war that our defences had slipped. Whilst we had forces keeping the cities safe, there are little to no shadowhunters that live in the desert. Consequently, demons have been breeding in there, where they know that there is a little chance of us killing them.
However sad I was to abandon the thrill of the hunt, being reunited with my siblings was the best feeling ever. Our relationships were funny. Iz is my older sister, she taught me how to apply makeup and do my hair. She takes me clothes shopping and grumbles when I wear battle gear all the time. Alec is my protector. He and Iz only have a two-year difference between them, so he is more protective towards me than her. When I stumbled upon their doorstep three years ago, he took me under his wing, like a surrogate father. I never felt comfortable around Robert, so Alec took his role. Three years ago, when I was weakened by flashbacks of abuse and hurt, Robert reminded me too much of my own father. Alec was always a good listener; he was the first to hear about my past.
And then there is Jace. Our relationship was interesting, to say the least. Like Alec, he was extremely protective of me, yet he gave me more freedom than Iz and Alec. We share the same past. We never knew each other, until three years ago, nor did we find out that the same man raised us until the war. Both he and I grew up in an environment where we were trained to become soldiers. We spent our childhood fighting, becoming more resilient and battle-worn everyday. Consequently, we both share the passion of the blood rush, and the addiction to the adrenalin rush we get when we jump off roofs at the forms of demons.
When Max died, I became the youngest. My older siblings all became extremely overprotective of me. Max was the perfect picture of youth and innocence. I don't think they ever thought anything could touch him, but it did. I guess that by attempting to protect me from the horrors of our society, I wouldn't suffer from the same fate. didn't have the heart to tell the otherwise; I had seen too much of the nightmares that plague children's night to ever regain my youth.
I walked towards my room, a feeling of familiarity settling in. The Institute would always be my home, nothing could change that.
It was when I walked in through my open door, and that's when I noticed the mess. The white walls were covered with drawings and runes and photographs. My double bed stood in the middle, the sheets tangled and messy. My desk was loitered with books and weapons, my closet wide open. All of the clothes and shoes I own had been ripped out of my closet and were spilled all over the floor. As far as I could tell, there could be only one culprit.
"ISABELLE SOPHIA LIGHTWOOD," I screamed. "What possessed you to tear my room apart? Don't you have enough clothing already? Do I need to perform an exorcism to break this infuriating habit of yours?"
She and the others came stampeding through the door.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," She said calmly, as if it was perfectly normal.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Alec and Jace smirk at each other. The elves kept looking at Isabelle, my room and me back and forth as if we had gone insane.
"Seriously? Couldn't you pack it up?" Asking this was pointless: I already knew the answer.
"No, I had better things to do." If she wasn't my sister I would have most likely slapped her.
"Why are you so upset about it?" asked Jace "Your room generally looks like this"
"But when I make a mess, I know where it all is. Now I don't know where half my stuff is," I explained
"Go to bed Lynn. I'll help you clean it up later," Clary said softly
ELLADAN POV (Manhattan Institute, US, Earth)
Isabelle said that she looked a lot like Ro and I, but I could also see some of Legolas and Estel's traits in her. She had the same dark hair from our father, but she had Estel's curls. She and Legolas shared the piercing blue eyes that were genetically transferred from Thranduil. They were the type of eyes that could freeze your bones. She obviously didn't share our height. I would say she was about 160cm, dwarfed by our size.
She had seen too much of the world's horrors and wicked ways. It was obvious in the way she stood and the way she stared. Always calculating, always ready.
As we left Evelynn to rest, Clary turned to us.
"Are you tired as well? There are plenty of rooms for you to stay in if you want."
"We are elves, miss. We do not need much sleep."
"What time is it?" asked Legolas, staring at the sunlight that was seeping through the windows.
"About 11 o'clock in the morning."
"I would welcome some rest," Estel cut in.
"I'll show you to your rooms, then," Alec said, leading the way.
Alec led us through the maze of corridors and hallways. Despite rays of sun shining through, the place still seemed dark and uninviting. We came to four doors and Alec informed us they were our resting quarters. He then let us to go, and walked off to attend to something he simply described as, 'shadowhunter business'.
The room I entered was surprisingly welcoming. It looked comfortably antique. The walls were all of a rich chocolate brown, but one. The remaining wall was white, and scribbled on it's surface were inscriptions in a language I couldn't read. In the centre of the room stood a large double bed, with white sheets neatly made. The bedside tables were honey-coloured, mirroring the wooden floor. Framed pictures were hung on the walls. A knock on the door pulled me out of my observations.
"Come in," I shouted.
Elrohir, Estel and Legolas walked in and sat on my bed. We all looked at each other, but none of us spoke. The shock of having a sister was just settling in.
"She looks exactly like the two of you," said Legolas, looking and Elrohir and I.
"She has your eyes," commented Estel.
"And your curls, Estel," added Elrohir.
"She has your father's temper Legolas," I noted
"She acts somewhat mischievously, like you two," Legolas pointed out.
"By the looks of it, she is an excellent fighter," remarked Elrohir.
"She is simply a combination of the four of us," concluded Estel.
"So we have found her," I said. "Now we need to bring her back to Imladris with us"
"Yeah…I don't know how we are going to manage that." Legolas said, clearing his throat. "You heard what Jace said; this is her home."
EVELYNN POV (Manhattan Institute, United States)
I woke up feeling quite refreshed. For the past two weeks I had been sleeping in the sand, in very low temperatures. Waking up in a warm bed with clean sheets definitively was amazing. Lazily getting out of bed, I grabbed my training clothes, which consisted of loose shorts and a singlet. Obviously, like all training and battle gear, they were black. Slipping on a hoodie, I walked out of my room, only to be greeted by Church. I looked down at the scraggily cat as it glared back.
"Where are the others?"
He turned around grouchily, before quickly pattering down the hallway. I followed him until we reached the kitchen. I could see Isabelle standing at the stovetop, wayward hair flying about as she haphazardly flipped something in a frying pan. Attempting to cook again, by the looks of it. Alec was grabbing something out of the fridge and Jace was leaning on the counter, talking to Clary. The three elves and one mundane were sitting around the old wooden kitchen table.
"Isabelle, what are you cooking?" questioned Alec incredulously.
"I am making an omelette, Alec. Isn't it obvious?"
"I don't think omelettes are meant to be green, Iz." Clary's voice was full of laughter.
I shook my head at my siblings' antics and walked in only to climb up and sit on the kitchen counter.
"Iz, if we fed your food to demons, they would probably die instantly," I ducked my head beneath the knife she threw my way.
"You bitch," she said jokingly.
"I was taught by the best," I shot back. Again I had to move out of the way for the second knife that was coming my way. Like the previous one, the knife planted itself in the wall behind me.
"Hey! Isabelle! Stop ruining mum's kitchen!" Alec reprimanded her.
"I was going to blame Valentine," I clarified, "but if you want to take credit for it, be my guest."
She was about to throw yet another knife at me when Jace caught her arm. The elves just stared, as if we had lost our minds.
"What are your names?" I enquired. I felt awful for not asking this earlier.
"I'm Legolas, the twins are called Elladan and Elrohir, and that's Estel," the blond one answered. I nodded in response.
"Hey Jace? Do you want to hit the training room?" Jace was my partner in training. He and Alec were parabatai, but both Jace and I wield the same weapons, so we train together.
"Sounds good! You ready for me to kick your ass?"
"You wish darling," I answered back.
He lunged towards me and tossed me over his shoulder.
"To the training room we go!" I couldn't help laughing. It was the moments like this, where we could relax and forget about the dangers, which I truly valued.
ELROHIR POV (Manhattan Institute, US, Earth)
When Lynn walked in the room, everything changed. The atmosphere got lighter, brighter and more upbeat. She and her siblings clearly had a strong bond.
Jace, and Lynn who he was still carrying, led the way. We came to a large wooden door. Alec opened it and inside was every warrior's dream.
The ceiling was extremely high, with wooden beams hanging down from it, easily accessible with ropes and ladders. Mats covered half of the floor, directly under the beams. On the far left wall, large target were placed, and even a few dummies were piled next to them. The right wall was covered in weapons, ranging from simple blades, to whips and axes.
Isabelle immediately reached for a whip, and marched to wards the dummies. She placed a few upright and proceeded to latch her whip around them, knocking all of them down in one hand gesture. Alec grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows. He stood next to his sister and shot the targets. For someone who wasn't an elf, he had a good shot. Jace dropped Lynn from his shoulder and took Clary's hand. His whispered something in her ear, and she looked terribly frightened. The look of determination never left, but she had paled quite considerably. He took her hand and led her to the ropes that were dangling from the beams. The two of them climbed up and Jace spoke to her in a low voice.
"It's very simple. All you have to do is to jump off. You throw your head forwards and tuck in your legs to achieve a smooth motion. Do a couple flips, depending on the height at which you are jumping off, and when you are close to the ground, assume an upright position, and bend your knees when you land. "
He then proceeded to jump off the highest beam. After three flips, he landed perfectly on his feet and looked up to Clary, indicating that it was her turn to jump. She managed, but stumbled at the end.
"We'll work on it," he assured her.
Lynn grabbed a sword off the wall and turned to look at us.
"You fight, don't you?" she asked us.
We all nodded, and she tossed Legolas a sword.
"What about a bit of sparring, then?"
He looked hesitant. I knew that he was an excellent sword fighter, fast, strong and agile. Lynn was only 15, and tiny. She looked like she could be broken with a single blow. She glared at Legolas, knowing the reason why he was wasn't responding.
"By the Angel," she grumbled. "Would it make you feel better if I attacked you first?"
"Yes, it would."
Legolas rapidly moved in front of her, sword at the ready. Before he had time to move, Lynn attacked. She struck his blade, and rapidly kicked at his stomach. Legolas sparred back, but Lynn spun on herself and dodged the blow. She twirled her blade, aiming for his head, but Legolas ducked, and smacked her back. She grunted in pain as she fell. Before he had time to help her up — brotherly feelings clouding his reasoning in the fight — she stuck her leg out and tripped him. The split second moment when he was off his guard was all the time she needed to get back up. Using her light weight and speed, she pounded the ground with her blade a few times, but Legolas blocked her advances.
He charged back, but likewise, she managed to block all his attempts. The fight ended when Lynn tripped Legolas and grabbed his sword, pressing it against his throat with her suspended threateningly over his face.
"I could kill you right now…but that would mean that I would have to clean up the mess," she smirked.
She pulled back her blades deadly position and was about to speak when she found a sword blocking her path. Jace was holding his own sword at her neck.
She turned to look at Jace. Lynn just managed to throw up her sword to block her chest from Jace's blow. At first, Lynn concentrated on her defence and let her muscles settle into the rhythm of the fight. She held her defence strongly, and Jace could not get a single attack past. The fight was very different from when she and Legolas sparred against one another. Before, the were holding back, but not now. This was something else. Both Jace and Lynn were giving it all they had. After several minutes of attempting to get past Lynn's defences, Jace began to loose his temper and began to batter at her as if to pound her into the ground. It was as if Lynn was fighting for her life. Jace wasn't going to let her have it easy. He wouldn't content with pretend wounds and a small victory, he truly appeared to be out for her blood. By the look on Lynn's face, it was identical.
I knew that they wouldn't actually kill each other, but seeing the way in which they fought, I couldn't help but have doubts. Not fazed by the fact that they had an audience, they continued their deadly dance. There was no other way to describe it. Both moved around one another, thrusting and parrying, hitting each other with near-fatal blows every time.
The fight was not just physical, but tactical. Jace was immense compared to Lynn's slight figure. He was fierce and unyielding. However, to her advantage, Lynn was faster, supple and used better tactics. She knew exactly where to strike at Jace to thrown him off balance. They pounded at each other relentlessly, the clash of metal resonating through the room. Jace's weapon slipped past Lynn's defences and slashed toward her throat. Lynn dodged, laughing as if having a splendid time. She twirled on herself and managed to knock Jace's sword out of his hand. He was at the mercy of her blade against his neck.
Both were panting by the end. Clary hand each of them some water, which they gulped down gratefully.
"It's night fall," Lynn said, looking out of the window. "Do you guys want to go hunting?"
The shadowhunters nodded in union, and then simultaneously turned to look at us. A really awkward moment passed.
"Do you want to come with us?" finally asked Alec.
"What are you going to do exactly?" enquired Estel.
"We are going to go and hunt down the monstrosities that plague our world, the beats that deserves to rot in the deepest pits of hell, the atrocities that feed on pain and fear, the ones that deserve to be destroyed by my blade." Lynn's voice carried out bitter anger.
he shuffled awkwardly, stunned by Lynn's sudden outburst. "I suppose we will come, what else is there for us to do here?" I wasn't going to lie, I was really curious about how they slaughtered demons.
"Wait here, then, we'll go and get changed."
Each came back looking ready to take down whatever and whoever stood in their way. The marks on their skin, runes as they had called them previously, looked more intense, darker and bolder. It seemed as if somebody had take black ink and traced over them.
Alec wore dark pants and a sleeveless leather jacket. He has a bow and a quiver of arrows strapped on his back. Knives were also hanging down from his belt. Like Alec, Jace wore black pants. He also had a grey shirt and a black jacket with a hood. His sword hung low on his belt. I could tell that various other weapons were dissimulated in his clothing. Isabelle had high-heeled boots and skintight leather from top to bottom. Her hair was tied up, and she looked ready to murder somebody. Similarly, Clary also wore black leather, but she looked more innocent. She also carried weapons, but she didn't look like she fitted into battle. Finally, my eyes dropped onto Lynn. She wore black leather pants, as well as a leather jacket. Combat boots were on her feet, and I saw her slip a few knives in her boots. She has black, fingerless gloves on. When Estel asked her why she wore them, she replied that it was for better grip on her sword. The girls, especially Isabelle and Evelynn, wore dark eye powder. It was a stunning contrast between Lynn's pale complexion and the black eyeliner and red lipstick. She looked stunningly beautiful, but dangerous.
The shadowhunters led us into another part of the dim maze they called their home. We hurried down staircases, with only the pale glow of a few candles to light our path. There, in front of us stood a monstrosity.
The strange objects had two wheels, covered in a bizarre black material. Patterns were drawn on this peculiar substance. Attached to the wheels were metal plates, also black and reflecting the light of the candles. A bar was attached to what seemed to be the front of the things. There were also mirrors placed quite close to the bar. Were they abnormal vanities for the girls? I couldn't help but wonder.
"What are those things." Dan's voice was incredulous.
"They're motorcycles. Have you never seen them before?"
"Iz, I don't think they have electricity."
"Oh. Well, they are a type of transport. You get on them, turn on the ignition and drive it to wherever you want to go."
"Kind of like a horse?" I asked
"Yeah, I suppose. Just louder and faster."
Jace, Isabelle, Alec and Clary each got on one of the motorcycles, and nodded to each of us to come near them. After a lot of persuasion, I climbed on behind Alec, Elladan behind Isabelle, Estel behind Clary, and after more cajolery and exhortation, Legolas climbed behind Jace.
"What about you?" Legolas asked Lynn.
"I'm the spotter," she replied
Seeing our looks of confusion, Clary explained that Evelynn climbs to the top of buildings to search for demon lairs. She then leads the way for the others to join her.
Alec pressed on a weird button, and a wall seemed to disappear. We could now see the outside world. It was such a relief. Us elves need to be connected to nature. Thankfully, we hadn't been in the Institute for very long, so the lack of nature hadn't bothered us very much. Seeing the sky and feeling fresh air was a miracle come true.
Lynn ran outside, crossed a path, and began to climb steadily on the building adjacent to us. She would use the ledges and the windows to guide her path until the top. She looked like a spider; she climbed with such ease and grace. When she reached the top, she scanned her eyes over the city that stood before hear, hair whipping in the wind. She took something out of her pocket and suddenly, Alec's pocket started to vibrate.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"There's a lair near Brooklyn."
"Ok, lead the way," Alec was about to stop talking when he remembered something "Wait Lynn! Don't go all superhero on us and wait until we get there to start the slaughter…Dammit Lynn!" She was already running off .
Each shadowhunter turned something on the strange bar at the front of the 'motorcycle' and then I experienced the strangest feeling ever. I felt the lurch of the object when it roared to life. Holding on for dear life onto Alec, I could smell the clean leather of his jacket. I could feel the wind whipping my long hair around. The speed of this was exhilarating, and I couldn't control it. I was used to riding horses, and controlling their speed, but this…I was empowered by something out of the common.
EVELYNN POV (on the roofs of NYC, US, Earth)
I love it. The thrill of jumping from one roof to another, the adrenalin rush that will only last during the hunt. Alec and Jace were going to kill me; they hate it when I rush ahead. I suppose that Jace hates it because then he doesn't get to kill as many demons as me, and that Alec is just overprotective and doesn't want me to get killed.
I jumped from one building to the next, sliding along damp gutters and using electric wires to guide my path. I ran far and fast for long enough for my calves to begin to ache. I reached the alley where I knew a herd of demons laid.
There were about fifteen hellhounds in front of me, the revolting demonic mutations of mundane dogs. They look like gaunt, vicious-looking, black canines, but are much bigger, and a lot more dangerous, than regular dogs. They have dark red, murderous eyes, and dark layers of fur cover their body. I knew to be careful of their jaws and tails, for their jaws are powerful like sharks, and their tails are spiky, somewhat like a mace.
I jumped down from my advantageous position. I knew that heights could seriously help fight, anyone with half a brain knew that, but I was much better at hand-to-hand combat. In our 'battalion' of five, six if you count Simon, Iz's boyfriend, Alec and Simon were definitively the ones who fought over 'long distances' as they were greatly skilled with their bows and arrows. Iz fought at a style that we call 'mid-range'. She masters her whip like she treads over boys' hearts. She is also skilled with seraph blades, but every shadowhunters knows how to fight with one. Clary's style is still indefinite. She has only found out about her true origins not long ago, so she is hovering in between styles. Jace and I definitively fight in a 'short-distance' or hand-to-hand style. Both of us wield our swords like they're an extension of our arms. Unlike Jace though, I do try to learn and get used to the other styles of fighting. For that reason, I can throw knives, use a whip and hit a moving target with a bow and arrow.
By the time I had flipped down the twenty metre wall, I had thrown two knives at the demons, dispatching three in a row. I pulled out my sword and destroyed another. By that time the cavalry, note the sarcasm, had arrived. Each jumped off their motorcycle and took out various weapons. Alec latched an arrow on his bow, and hit one of the monstrosities in the eye. It howled in pain and tried to whack back with its tail. Thankfully for Alec, Clary was there and stabbed it with her seraph blade, killing it well and truly. During that time, Iz had electrocuted another two with her whip, and Jace had murdered one. I looked over at the elves who stared in bewilderment…and that's when I noticed it.
"Elladan! Duck!" I shouted with alarm. The tall elf thankfully obeyed my command and I threw my blade. It hit true and solid, killing the hellhound dead before it could get it's jaws around Elladan's head. Frozen in shock, he simply stared at me.
I turned around and dispatched another blow, killing three more hounds. By the time I was done, the others had taken care of the remaining hellhounds. The fight had only lasted a couple of minutes. The adrenalin rush had kicked in. I forgot all about the pain army aching muscles, entering a state of euphoria where I feel like I can now do anything. I could hear and see a lot better, so much that the slightest, tiniest sound away would still reach my ears. My heart was pounding in my chest.
"You just saved my life," Elladan said in awe.
"Yes, I did. It's not that big of a deal. It's what anyone in my position would have done."
"Regardless, I am in your debt." I had no idea how to respond. Thankfully, Alec saved me from this awkward situation.
"Do you want to want to wait for me here? We are going to take our guest back to the institute, and then Jace is taking Clary back to her house. Do you want to take patrol with me?"
In a way, I suppose we are the safe-keepers of the city. We regularly go out and patrol the city, killing any demon we find, and recording the bizarre demonic activity. We always go out in twos, it's too dangerous to go out alone.
"Yeah, sure."
"I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't you dare go anywhere, Lynn."