Los Angeles, California
Closing the door behind him, Max Starhallow turns towards Kate Hillheart. He tilts his head. Kate's frowning at him while also biting her lips. He lifts an eyebrow. Kate glares daggers at him moments later. What's going on? Seconds later, Kate finally speaks up.
"Why did you even give the boy money?"
"Why did you insist he needed help? You were practically dragging me into that store. You're the one who insisted we needed to check on him. I just did what was logical."
"Why do you think I insisted? Did you notice how he looked? And how he was oh so carefully inspecting the food?"
"I did but why does that matter?"
"Why? Use your brain, Max. He didn't have a lot of money, I imagine. I fear he was scraping by with whatever money he had left to feed his family. That or his family send him to do grocery shopping with far too little money."
Yeah, and why would that be important. It's not as if he's a shadowhunter. He would have recognized their runes. He would have also had his own. He is too old to be a shadowhunter and not be wearing runes. And even in the unlikely case, he would be a shadowhunter then it wouldn't be their concern. He shakes his head.
"If that is the case then we need to report it to the authorities. And in the unlikely case he's one of us and in need only then would we need to help them. Not that I can imagine how that could have happened."
"Oh, really? He is definitely one of us. Did you not notice what happened to the seraph blade? His family clearly failed him. They never told him about the shadow world. And how could they have managed to hide him from the clave?"
"I don't know how they could have hidden him. And what's so special about that seraph blade?"
"You are blind and stupid. The blade burst into flames. It was as if it was burning out. I've never seen anything like it before. I can't tell why the blade responded like that to him."
"So something happened during your hunt?"
Max jumps around and snaps to attention. Shivers run along his spine. He glances at the person who spoke. In front of him is a face he recognizes immediately; Andrew Blackthorn. Just what they needed; their institute head listening in on their discussion. Blackthorn has a curious look in his eyes. He bites his lips and glances at Kate. Blackthorn narrows his eyes and mentions with his hands for them to follow.
Sighing, he follows Blackthorn as they make their way through the institute. The hallways are completely covered by shadows. The only breaks in the shadows are all the eyes which turn on him. Some of those eyes are accompanied by snickering while others only show confusion. He pushes those looks to the back of his mind. If they're lucky, they won't be subject to rumors.
Children with wide eyes stare at him when he turns a corner moments before they're hurried into one of the training rooms. Doors are opened along the hallway with people looking around the doors. This just great. They'll be the subject of rumors for sure. And if experience taught him anything, those rumors will last for months to come. Just what they needed. A quiet hunt so they could talk about their relationship turning into the worst kind of situation for they'll be ridiculed by their peers.
Arriving at the office, they are ushered inside. A person with short black hair wearing a gray coat sits in front of the desk. The person lifts an arm. Runes covering the bottom of the sleeve become visible. Ice travels along his back. He recognizes this immediately; it's an inquisitor's aide. What's he doing here?
"Well, now that we're somewhere private, you can tell us what you were talking about."
He looks at Blackthorn while shuffling his feet. The inquisitor's aide turns around. The face of a young man with sharp features becomes visible. The aide narrows his eyes. Shivers run along his spine. Explaining himself to Blackthorn would have been uncomfortable but doable. But explaining themselves to an inquisitor's aide is an entirely different matter. No matter what they'll tell they'll be in major problems.
"What were they talking about, Blackthorn?"
"They were talking about a boy, inquisitor's aide Lightrun. A shadowhunter if I heard correctly. And the boy's family's not part of the clave, am I right?"
"Yes sir, you heard correctly. We were talking about a shadowhunter whose family I doubt is part of the clave. Also, he didn't seem to recognize the Raveners we were hunting nor a seraph blade we lost. He seemed bewildered by it all. I have to give it to him, he was brave."
"How can you be sure he is a shadowhunter?"
"Well, he was able to use a seraph blade and kill two Raveners with it. We have never seen anything like it. After he killed the Ravener, the blade literally burst into flames in his hands. Maybe even earlier but I can't be sure about that."
"Yes, it was such a shame. It was a new blade which hasn't been used often."
"A seraph blade does not burst into flames. You two better not be making something up to cover for some failure."
"We're not. I swear."
The aide narrows his eyes staring at them. He fights to avert his eyes. It won't do to show any doubt or fear right now. The aide glances at Blackthorn who glances at the aide. He glances at Kate. What are they thinking about?
"Did you two forget to use glamour? And is there anything of interest you remember?"
"We did use glamour. Both during our hunt and while we talked to the boy. And after the seraph blade, we checked it. Besides, raveners can't be seen by sightless mundanes. And well... I'll admit we missed two Raveners but the boy killed them. But the boy took care of them."
"Why did you follow him? And what did you talk about?"
"Well, we never expected to see another shadowhunter there. We thought he was a local but were confused why we didn't know about him. We tried to get him to talk. We just wanted to know what he knew and why he was there without the institute and the clave being aware of it. If you knew Blackthorn, then you would have informed us right?"
"Yes, I would have. This hunt would most likely have been given to him if he was old enough. How old was he?"
"We think around sixteen but can't be certain."
"Mhh, Kate you've got anything to add?
"Yes, I do. We wanted to learn if he was a local. But instead of it being confirmed, we learned he wasn't a local. We didn't dare pressure him much more as he was already very defensive. I think we scared him."
Max scratches the back of his head. Yeah, it wasn't what they intended to do. Glancing at the aide, he is met with eyes throwing daggers his way. He looks away in Kate's direction. Their eyes meet. A fist slamming on the desk has them turning back to the aide.
"I don't care if you scared him. You haven't yet told me what you talked about with the boy."
"Well, we talked a bit about the town and nothing more. We did give him some money as he seemed to be struggling to buy the food for his family. And we also gave him the emergency number of the institute. We told him help would come from there should he ever need it."
"Alright. At least you ensured he can seek us out. What else do you know about him? Where does he live? What's his name?"
"Uhm…. We don't know, Blackthorn."
"Why not?"
"Because we didn't ask."
"Yeah, we didn't really think about asking it. And as we came back here without any delay, we didn't follow him. So obviously we don't know where he lives."
"So you could be making all this up to distract from your own failings."
"We didn't make this up, sir. We're telling the truth."
"Then provide us with proof of this boy's existence. Gather all the information about him you can find."
The aide glares at them. Max shares a look with Kate while biting his lips. The same worry, he finds in Kate's eyes. What is the aide's problem anyway? What have they done to warrant this kind of behavior? He doesn't know and doesn't like it. Some concern or annoyment, he could understand. It might be dangerous for a shadowhunter to act without the clave knowing. How many problems can such a person make? He imagines a lot.
After a moment, Max salutes and hears Kate doing the same. When they receive no response, they hurry out of the room. Making their way to the bedrooms, he watches Kate walk on after having reached his. Max remains standing in front of his door for a moment with his head turned and tilted. He watches Kate entering her own room. Shaking his head, he quickly enters his room. Once inside, he hurries around gathering supplies.
Barely thirty minutes after leaving the office, Max waits in front of the heavy gates for Kate to join him. As he waits, he thinks back to the boy. He seemed reasonably well-dressed but still. Something was off about him. Does he actually know about the shadow world? Has he seen through glamour before? He hopes for the boy's sake he hasn't. It wouldn't do anything good for the poor boy.
A sigh has him looking up. When did he start looking at the floor? In front of him stands Kate fully equipped for their mission. He smiles wryly. Well, fully equipped? She has multiple swords with her as well as knives on her body. And from the number of weapons, he can tell Kate is too equipped for what they'll be doing. He raises his eyebrow. What does she expect they will face? Kate doesn't seem to notice it as she looks at the sky.
"Why do we have to go back right now?"
"Why do you think, Kate? We are the best at finding the boy again. And we have to make up for our mistake. Not that I like doing this."
"Yeah, finding the boy. If he hasn't left already. I don't understand what the concern is. We made a mistake, yes, but what could he even do if he doesn't know about the shadow world?"
"I don't know. Most people will deem him crazy if he talks about it. He would then either learn to stay quiet or be admitted into a mental institution. And I think he could also start hunting and get himself killed alongside it. But let us go now. I want to be back before dinner."
Standing in the office five hours later, he looks at Kate. She looks back at him with a small smile before nodding. No one is in the office yet. As a result, he starts to look around. Something he didn't do the last time they were inside. Even though he has been here multiple times in the past.
A reddish-brown desk littered with papers stands in front of him. A desk made of solid wood with paneling to the side where he stands. The desk is nestled into the wall with wooden bookcases filled with books above it. On top of the shelf, statues of the fair folk stand mixed with those of angels. Light flickers from beneath the ceiling onto the statues. A leather desk chair stands behind the desk.
Alongside the walls are bookcases filled with books. To his left is the only wooden bookcase with closed doors. How many books can a man own? And why is everything made from wood? He doesn't understand what Blackthorn sees in having only wooden furniture. He can imagine a few better pieces of furniture.
"Do you think we got everything, Max?"
"I hope so. I don't know what else we could have gathered. We have the boy's driver's license, pictures of him and his family, and school records. What else is left to gather?"
"I don't know but think our great friend will find fault with it."
"Our great friend?"
"Yes, that inquisitor's aide. He's a real good friend of ours."
Max shakes his head smiling ruefully. The inquisitor's aide as their friend? Not in a million years. He was way too aggressive for his liking. He's more like an enemy or annoying teacher than a friend. Why would Kate even think he's a friend? She's not making any sense.
"If you see that as a friend then I don't know what to think about you. What do you think he'll say?"
"Better personal details like birth certificates or something like that."
"How would we have gotten those? And from where? We don't know where he was born."
"Are you two quite finished? We're interested in learning what you gathered."
Blackthorn and the aide stand in the doorway. The aide again glares at them. Max groans silently. What have they done to deserve this? Blackthorn gives him a look which has him averting his eyes looking on the floor. Those glares have ice trailing his back. Blackthorn's look has a stone dropping in his stomach. Footsteps echo through the office. He looks up. Blackthorn has nearly reached his desk with the aide not far behind.
Moving to stand behind the desk, Blackthorn stares at them. The aide however is gleefully watching them. Shivers run over his back preventing him from speaking up. Kate's lack of words has him suspecting she experiences the same. People moving in the hallway are the only things hearable in the office except for breathing. It lasts for an eternity until the aide breaks it.
"Well? Are you two going to share what you have learned? Or have you gone making out instead of following orders?"
"Ah, yes of course. We did seek out the boy again. Luckily, he did not notice us this time."
"Yeah, luckily for it would have been very awkward to be caught taking pictures of his driver's license, his family, and school records."
"Good, that's something I can work with. Send them to me so I can take this matter up with the inquisitor."
"The inquisitor? Is that not a bit extreme. I mean, he is just a teenager."
"It's not, Blackthorn. If there are shadowhunters around who the clave has no knowledge about then we need to investigate. Imagine the amount of trouble they can wreck in the shadow world. And truthfully, I don't think the boy and his family are following the covenant and accords."
"No, I don't imagine they are. Well anyway, I can't tell you how to do your duty."
"No, you can't."
Max glances at Kate who is shaking her head. He smiles wryly. It is good to see some byplay between them. Do they know each other? Maybe professionally. He shares a look with Kate. Why should they be privy to this conversation? He has no idea but it is good to know the reason why the aide was so insistent on them going back. Turning his focus back on the men. Blackthorn is looking them over sternly.
"Thank you for your report. This time, you have been thorough. Nevertheless, I will make a note of this in your files. Remember next time to gather all relevant information in similar situations. Or have you forgotten sighted mundanes exist?"
"No, sir we haven't."
"We'll remember it in the future."
"Good, now leave."
They salute, turn around, and practically run out of the office. Closing the door carefully behind him, he pants resting his hands on his knees. That was the worst situation ever; Blackthorn reprimanding them for making a beginner's mistake. He vows never to make such a mistake again.
Looking up, he finds Kate in a similar position as himself. Then he frowns. She is shivering slightly. Why? It couldn't be from the cold. Moving forward, he puts a hand on her shoulder. Kate practically falls into his arms resting her head on his shoulder. He rubs circles over her shoulder. She grabs the back of his shirt tugging on it tightly. After some time, Kate speaks up.
"I thought we were done for. The aide certainly had it out for us."
"I know but it could have been worse. At least, he's now off our backs."
"Yes, thankfully he's off our backs. We didn't need any more scrutiny from the inquisitor or an aide right now. But do you think the note in our file is not one of the worst things which could have happened?"
"It is but we can work with it. If we make sure we stick to the rules then this note will soon be forgotten."
"I hope so for your sake."
Phelan, California, Dean POV
Staring at the cooking kettle, his mind moves back to the events from his shopping trip. It has not been so long ago that he can shove it to the back of his mind. And because he can still clearly remember the couples' faces. They were close enough to him to see it when they talked in the grocery store. And then those monsters. He shudders only thinking about them. He hopes never to see anything like it in the future. But with his luck, he'll most likely see them more often.
A ticking lid sounds loudly in his ears but his mind remains focused on those monsters. He shakes his head trying to flush it out. It must have been a fluke or a trick from his mind. It couldn't have been real. Lifting the lid, he checks on the progress and smiles. The soup is almost ready.
Turning around, he sees Sam sitting at the table working on his homework. Quickly gathering everything he needs, he sets the table for them. While doing this, his mind moves back to the trip's aftermath. Later that night, he checked the area for similar monsters but found none. As for the 'tourists', he is convinced they were up to something. But no matter how much he looked, he couldn't find them. Nor any trace of them. It was as if they turned into dust. And what was the worst, he had money which he shouldn't have. Not if the fluke was an actual fluke.
Clenches his fist, he bites his cheek to hold back a wince. The burn still hurts like crazy. He's not sure how he got it. Certainly not when he was in the throws of the fluke. It has been a pain in the ass to hide it from Sammy and dad. They were far too nosy to be able to hide it easily. He had to hide it. He didn't then and doesn't now want a repeat of the berating he got in May.
"Dean, are you alright?"
"Yes, Sammy. I'm fine."
"Really? I saw the wound on your hand a few times already. Where did you get it? And why haven't you had it treated?"
"I don't know where I got him. Don't worry, Sammy. It's nothing severe. I don't need treatment."
He ruffles Sammy's hair for a short moment. His hand is almost immediately slapped away. He laughs and returns to his ruffling. He appreciates Sammy's concern but it's unnecessary. He's got everything covered. Sammy glares at him without breaking eye contact. He sighs.
"If you feel so deeply about it go then go ahead and treat it."
"I will."
Sammy stands up and walks towards their bags and rummages in them for a moment. Dean smiles amused. Sammy's care for him is obvious but it should be the other way around. He is to care for Sammy while Sammy doesn't have to care about anything. Any wounds he has are for him to treat on his own.
A box placed on the table has his eyes turning to Sammy whose sole focus is on the box. The box is clicked open and bandages are laid around the table. A few bottles are placed near them. Sammy stares at it for a moment before frowning. Before he can ask, Sammy stands up and hurries to the bathroom. A cabinet being opened and closed can be heard. Within moments, Sammy returns with cotton swabs.
Pulling a chair closer to him, Sammy pushes him against the back of the chair. Shaking his head, he allows Sammy to position him as he wants. Sammy immediately pulls his hand forward placing it on the table with the palm upwards. A cotton swab is dipped in one bottle and softly stroked over the burn. This process is repeated with another bottle. Turning his hand over, Sammy frowns before a gauze is placed over the burn. A bandage is wrapped around his hand and fixed with a clip.
"There, now it's taken care off as it should be. And Dean, don't joke around anymore. Something's been bothering you for a while now. I'm not blind."
"Nothing's been bothering me. Don't imagine something which is not real."
"I'm not imagining anything. If you don't tell me I'll tell dad about your burn."
"Don't you dare, Sammy!"
Sam crosses his arms and lifts his chin. Dean glares at Sammy. Why's he so stubborn? He doesn't have an explanation. The only one he has will piss dad off to no end. Besides, it is his problem; not Sammy's. He should just stay out of it. Crunching his teeth, he stands up taking a step closer to Sammy who doesn't react at all. All he receives is a glare. Growling, he crosses his arms over his chest.
"Fine, if you won't stop bothering me. I met some 'tourists' who gave me some money. I don't know why or who they are. And I looked for them all over this stupid town."
"Are you crazy, Dean? You know better than to take money from strangers. Why did no one react to that? And what did they want in return?"
"Nothing. That's the strangest thing about it. They wanted nothing. No one reacted to them because it was as if they were invisible. And don't lecture me. How do you think I get money for food when we're out of money?"
"I don't know."
Sammy looks down at the table biting his lips. He sighs, putting a hand on Sammy's shoulder. He squeezes the shoulder. Sammy places his hand over his.
"Sammy, I do odd jobs all the time. It's nothing dangerous. Just helping people out whenever I can. Maybe they wanted to thank me for helping someone."
"You sure you don't do anything dangerous?"
"I am sure, Sammy. Don't worry."
He smiles reassuringly. Who is he kidding? He doesn't believe his own words. He just hopes Sammy does believe them. It'll make everything so much easier for him. Sammy looks at him with a frown before sighing.
"I always worry about you, Dean. You and dad are the only family I have. Well, besides Bobby."
"I'm not leaving you, Sammy. Not now and not ever."
"Don't make promises you can't keep. You know how dangerous hunting is. Anything could happen to you at any time. So please be careful."
"I know that. And I'm always careful. Besides, you know I always keep my word."
"Mhh, if you say so. But regarding those 'tourists' as you called them, I think they did want something from you."
"Oh, and what you think they wanted?"
He turns and walks back to the kitchenette. He knows Sammy's not convinced by his words. He bites his lips. It's not as if he can do anything about it. Stirring the soup, he thinks about Sammy's question. What did they want indeed? It's not as if he hasn't thought about it before. No, he never thought about it. He pouts. He thought about it nearly daily without any success. Nothing would make sense to him when he thought about their behavior. He grimaces. Sammy won't accept those words. No, he needs something else.
But what can he tell Sammy? What does he even know? They gave him a number to call in emergencies. But what emergencies do they mean? It can't be a lack of money. No, they must have meant something else. But what? He got no explanation. But truthfully, he also didn't ask for an explanation. He would have liked it but didn't need it. It's not as if he'll ever use that number. He's not stupid.
His eyes widen. There was something. They were worried about him and his family. And again he got no explanation nor asked for it. But their worry, it's as if they knew something he doesn't. So how to spin it. He could give the full explanation which will upset Sammy. Or he could keep those things he can't figure out for himself. Sammy doesn't have to worry about it. Besides, the couple came off as nosy to him. He smiles knowing exactly what he will do.
"They wanted to help. I don't know why exactly but they came across as someone who sticks their nose into things they shouldn't."
"So they were being nosy. But that doesn't explain why they gave you money. Didn't they want something in return?"
"It'll surprise you but they didn't. And I only took the money to get them off my back. They were getting on my nerves so I wanted them gone. Besides, the money would be well spent."
"Mhhh."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Really? It sounded like you said something."
"I didn't say anything. Besides, you didn't answer my questions honestly. So, why should I be honest if you aren't."
"Oh, so we're playing it at that?"
"Yes, until you're being honest I won't explain myself to you. So until dinner's finished I'll be focusing on my homework."
Dean shakes his head with a smile. If Sammy wants to be so childish by all means he should stick to it. He knows who will last longer. And it won't be Sammy.